Negotiation is a discussion that aims at deciding something that will bring benefit to all parties involved. It is helpful as it reduces the conflicts and the disputes among the parties. It ensures that each person is satisfied with what is agreed on instead of fighting among each other. This is only possible when individuals involved learn to cooperate and stop blaming each other. Negotiation is important in our daily lives because it helps make decisions that are peaceful and stress free. Long, L. (1989).
Professionals should have great negotiation skills in order to close deals successfully, establish better relations with the workers, avoid disagreements and even ensure that the organization is a better working environment for the employees. If there is any disagreement in the organization, there is no need to fight, instead involve the employees in a negotiation so as to obtain a long lasting solution that satisfies everyone in the organization. Fernandes, J. M., Khan, M. A., " Brown, K. (2009).
I was once involved in a negotiation with a shopkeeper to purchase a mobile phone which cost $150 and I had $130. I tried my level best in order to purchase the phone at the lowest price rate possible and the shopkeeper also made sure that he got his profits. The negotiation benefited both the shopkeeper and I. While negotiating with the shopkeeper, communication techniques used are very important to get to a successful negotiation. I used the following two communication techniques in the negotiation.
i) Body language
In the negotiation to buy the mobile phone, I had to make the shopkeeper understand that I do not have the $150 that he wanted.
I tried my best to use the non-verbal communication indicators such as posture, gestures, and the facial expressions to make the shopkeeper understand that I do need the mobile phone in all means. I had to make a connection with the shopkeeper by maintaining eye contact so that the shopkeeper cannot suspect that am lying when I said that I do not have $150 to purchase the phone. I had to engage the shopkeeper to make sure that he is paying attention in the negotiation. The body language that I used made the shopkeeper understand how much I wanted to purchase the phone hence lower the price to an amount that is fair to both of us.
ii) Listening
Listening is a very important communication technique in any negotiation. I had to be very keen in listening to what the shopkeeper said so that I can know what next to tell him. Listening gave me opportunity to know if the price of the mobile phone can really be sold at a price lower than $150 from the words of the shopkeeper. I made sure that I do not miss any sentiment that the shopkeeper could express about the phone. The shopkeeper then noticed that I was serious in purchasing the phone and decided to lower the price. This encouraged me to negotiate more. Finally we reached at a price that would be fair to both of us. I then bought the mobile phone at a price that I can manage and the shopkeeper can also make profit. The techniques that I used brought the negotiation into a successful close.
In the option that doesn’t involve being in a successful negotiation, the negotiator always confuse the negotiation with a lot of confrontation, become emotional or make it personal and becoming angry, frustrated or hostile. Blaming the other party when you do not get what you wanted will doesn’t involve being in a successful negotiation. This will not bring the negotiation into a successful close. Zhao, J. J. (2000).
References
Fernandes, J. M., Khan, M. A., " Brown, K. (2009). U.S. Patent No. 7,494,055. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Giunipero, L. C., " Pearcy, D. H. (2000). World‐class purchasing skills: an empirical investigation. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 36(3), 4-13.
Long, L. (1989). Question negotiation in the archival setting: the use of interpersonal communication techniques in the reference interview. The American Archivist, 52(1), 40-51.
Mercer, N. (2002). Words and minds: How we use language to think together. Routledge.
Zhao, J. J. (2000). The Chinese approach to international business negotiation. The Journal of Business Communication (1973), 37(3), 209-236.
