Although we all bring various levels of knowledge, skills and experience to the table, we also each have a preferential negotiation style. Our negotiation style can work for us or against us. The key is to understand and harness it.
Are you a Driver? If so, you aren’t afraid to ask for a lot, demand and persist until you win. You strive to get the best deal possible. Your challenge can be that you leave the other side feeling like a loser. Short term that might not matter, but long term, they may not want to do business with you down the road.
Are you an Amiable? If so, you are all about fairness and doing what’s right. You want to negotiate based on long term relationships and prefer to do business with people you feel comfortable with. Your challenge is not to be bullied by aggressive opponents and give away the store.
Are you Analytical by nature? You do your homework, analyze the data and come prepared. Your challenge is to see the grey between the black and white and be able to think and respond quickly. You tend to say no more than yes and can miss opportunities to build bridges.
Or, are you an Expressive? The Expressive is a win-win negotiator that tries to find common ground to get an agreement. Your challenge is you don’t spend time reviewing documents or analyzing the data. As a result, you can arrive a premature conclusions based on your instincts not the facts. In your desire to build relationships and reach an agreement you can trust too quickly.
Understanding your style will tell you what you need to do to maximize your strengths and minimize your liabilities!
