Tips for negotiating

• Put yourself in their shoes
• Agree on what you agree on
• Avoid blaming them for your problem
• Discuss each other’s perceptions
• Summarise and clarify often
• Avoid getting personal
• Give them a stake in the outcome by ensuring they participate in the process
• Speak about yourself and your feelings. Not about the other person and their feelings.
• Make your proposal consistent with the other person’s values.
• Build and maintain rapport
• Be honest
• Be solution focussed
• Recognise any emotions involved – theirs and yours!
• Recognise that shared understanding is difficult to achieve
• Use active listening skills
• Invent options
• Remain open minded
• Avoid argumentative words e.g. ‘But, however, I’m afraid’
• Avoid words of rejection e.g. ‘Can’t, no way, impossible’
• Avoid irritating statements e.g. ‘this is a fair offer’
• Avoid  assumptions
• Be strong and avoid being intimidated

Great negotiating phrases: