Negotiations are tough, but even if the idea of negotiating scares you a bit, you don’t have to be a pro to get what you want. Scientific American points to three simple, research backed tips that can help you get what you want.
The site spoke with law professor and author Russell Korobkin to come up with three simple rules for negotiation:
- Be fair. “Good negotiators should always think about how they can show the proposal they’re making is fair to both parties,” Korobkin says. “Fairness” does not have one exact definition, but social psychology studies suggest that an offer people consider fair is one that is similar to what other people in the same situation are getting, consistent with market prices or terms, or on par with a similar transaction you have made in the past…
- Strike a power pose. Psychologists have found that expansive, open postures (“high-power poses”) make people feel more powerful and confident during stressful situations such as interviews or negotiations, whereas closed, curled-in positions (“low-power poses”) do the opposite…
- Aim high. Really high. Business research shows that people with more aggressive (but still realistic) goals — say, getting a 20 per cent raise at work versus a 5 per cent bump — end up doing better in negotiations. “One big reason for that is that people who have more aggressive goals make more aggressive first offers,” Korobkin says. “Where you start has a lot to do with where you end up.” This is called the “anchoring effect…”
Of course, as well as those tips, you’ll need some tactics too. We’ve got you covered there as well. Head over to Scientific American for a more detailed explanations of the above tips.
How to Be a Better Negotiator [Scientific American]
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