So what are the most important skills for a negotiator to have? 

There  are many of them; however, hopefully we’d all agree that the bargaining  skills and tactics for building trust while negotiating are among the most important. Each time that we start a negotiation we  all share the same hopes, dreams and goals: we want to share  information, build a relationship, and be treated fairly by the other  side. This is all fine; however, all too often when talks get started,  most of us have also had the experience of holding back information, viewing the other side’s behavior with suspicion, and feeling distrusted  by them. 

How can you get negotiations with the other side off to a trusting start?