Negotiate effectively at work and you make your life a lot easier. I share 7 actions to negotiate effectively at work – all which make a big difference as a manager. Better negotiation skills will help you every single day at work.

As a manager, you are negotiating with your team, your manager, your stakeholders, your customers and suppliers. It is a long list and you spend quite a big part of your week using negotiation skills so it really does pay to learn how to negotiate well. 

 Learn 7 steps to negotiate effectively at work, each packed with negotiation tips. 

 When learning how to improve negotiation skills, the most important area to concentrate is defining what you want and then preparing. This probably remains the most important stage even when you are seasoned negotiator. Spend time thinking about what the other party might want from the negotiations. 

 The next action to negotiate effectively at work is to establish trust. Being open during negotiations is a powerful way to establish and maintain trust. Don’t put all your cards on the table straight away.

 Key to negotiation skills in the workplace is active listening. Be ware of the assumptions you make in planning and test this during the negotiations by questioning the other party. Most negotiation tactics require you to learn about what the other party wants.

 Tips for negotiating well include making the first offer. This does anchor negotiations or start negotiations from a point of your choosing. Making the first offer can also upset, frustrate, and derail negotiations – why is covered in this video. 

 How to negotiate effectively includes knowing how to deal with bullies or overly aggressive negotiators. I cover two proven techniques to stop aggressive negotiation tactics.

 Dealing well with price during negotiations – an area many dread – will be much easier with the right preparations and a few negotiation tips. Never give away price without getting something back in return. 

 Finally, successful negotiation is about getting to a win-win position. This is doubly important at work as you are likely to work with the other party into the future. Maintaining good relationships is absolutely in your interests.

 Enjoy being much more effective when negotiating.