Learning how to negotiate is a critical skill. We all know it, and many of the most powerful people in the world have mastered this art. However, the fear of rejection can be a powerful deterrent that holds us back from asking for what we want in our careers. But what if there was a way to break down that anxiety bit by bit until we have the confidence to take that necessary risk? Today’s guest has a solution.

Melissa Hereford has more than 22 years experience teaching people how to become better negotiators. Throughout her career and in her workshop "Negotiate with Confidence," she's trained huge international companies and has also worked as a one-on-one coach. She has a deep understanding of what it's like to work within a variety of industries, and a grasp on how to take even the most timid employee and help turn them into world-class negotiators.

In this episode, Melissa teaches us how to uncover and identify new opportunities and how to effectively and positively ask for more of what you want at work.  By the time this episode wraps, you'll no longer think that "negotiate" is a scary word.

THE FINER DETAILS OF THIS SHOW:

(2:55) - Melissa shares the insights she gained from her early work, namely the human components of negotiation and rejection.

(3:55) - Melissa describes how negotiation factors into so much of our personal and professional lives.

(5:57) - How to make rejection feel less scary and personal than it usually does.

(7:45) - The small, gradual ways you can introduce bargaining into your day-to-day work conversations.

(10:20) - Why millennials might have a natural inclination toward negotiation.

(12:08) - The benefit of reframing negotiation as curiosity, and how to adjust your choice of words to tilt that scales in your favor.

(14:50) - How can employers be prepared for negotiation? And why should they want to embrace it?

(20:00) - Why should you care to become a better negotiator? Melissa shares the most common benefits she's seen from being good at negotiating at work.

(23:20) - An exercise you can use to identify, gauge and interrogate your fears.

(27:00) - Turning your fears into habits you can change.

TWEETABLES:

"Negotiation really encompasses so much of our human experience: how we interact with one another, how we talk to one another."

"We really identify with who we are through the lens of our professional personality; what we do defines us so much as a human."

"Curiosity in general is down. We're not asking questions around the tough things."

"Even these tiny, little baby steps forward, you will find that they will start to open up the world for you."

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Guest Links:

Melissa Hereford Website: http://www.melissahereford.com/

“What I Learned from 100 Days of Rejection” YouTube Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vZXgApsPCQ

Melissa’s Free Gift: https://www.thejoblab.com/e3download

Sponsor’s Link:

https://www.midamericacareers.com

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