Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Research the field and industry before negotiation

Research your industry. It’s as simple as that. A car dealer knows best about cars. A chemist knows best about chemistry. An art dealer knows best about art. If you’re going to negotiate in a world that isn’t familiar to you, research it. Know the players, know whom to talk to, study the terminology. Do whatever it takes to be the smartest guy or gal in the room.
You should definitely have your personal evaluation of everything being negotiated. You should also have a good idea of how the other party values whatever is being negotiated. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You can even ask such questions of the person you are negotiating with. Asking questions shows the other party that you’re interested and willing to learn.
Be a constant student of the industry or business in which you work. People who have a spent a lifetime with a company bring added value to the company simply because of all the information they have stored in their heads. The more you know about the business environment in general and your company in particular, the better off you are.

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