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- July 9, 2008
Negotiating to Win
When it comes to negotiating in business, the general belief among many women is that men are highly competitive, manipulative, win-lose negotiators who want to attain good deals from their opponents. Women, on the other hand, tend to be less aggressive throughout the negotiation and they will tend to ease into the negotiation by taking more time to know and understand each other. What they won’t do is sit down and try to hammer out a quick deal that leaves the other person in a less than fair position.
So the question is, can women in business be strong and effective negotiators without compromising their principles?
According to Personal and Professional Development Expert, Jennifer Conaway of Your Next Level, there are steps one must take in negotiating to win no matter what gender they are:
1) Negotiation is a Relationship: Get to know and understand who you’re dealing with and build a relationship.
2) Address Needs/Interests: All parties involved should be willing to sit down and discuss their needs and interests. They must also be willing to compromise.
3) Apply Participative Creative Thinking: In other words collaborate. Think of ways to come up with a joint solution. Become more engaging at the negotiating table. She suggests sitting side by side instead of across from each other.
4) Use Objective Criteria: Don’t make it personal. Remember, your negotiations are supposed to be for the overall good of everyone.
Conoway’s remarks where made during a recent Small Business Council Lunch & Learn Meeting at the Durham (NC) Chamber of Commerce. She will also be a featured speaker at the upcoming Business Boot Camp for Women Event at the Carolina Theatre in Durham (NC) on October 11, 2008. Order your tickets by phone at 919-560-3030.
