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If you think you may not be able to recall key information, don't hesitate to make notes as you go along. Don't worry that the note-taking may slow you down in your discussions, because it has several advantages. It ensures accuracy, it gives you time to think about and react to what has just been said, and it forces the other person to notice that you have recorded certain information should that person decide to "forget" what was promised or planned. |
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Tip 706: Make good eye contact as you negotiate. |
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If you avoid eye contact or look at the other person only briefly as you talk, that person may interpret your lack of contact as evasiveness, dishonesty, incompetence, or lack of conviction. To show your honesty and openness, look at people directly. |
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Tip 707: Start on the less important issues and work toward the more difficult. |
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You'll gain momentum toward agreement, and you'll have more time invested in finding a resolution. The more "success" you have in turning each minor point to mutual advantage, the more emotional strength you'll gain to work on the more complex issues. |
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Tip 708: Get others to invest in agreement. |
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The more time, money, or effort people have spent in negotiating, the more likely they will continue trying to come to agreement. They hate to think all that work, money, frustration, or delay has amounted to nothing. The more time they spend working with you to hammer out an agreement, the more committed they will be to working out any problems that crop up along the way. |
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Tip 709: Be willing to jump ship. |
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If you find yourself on the opposite side of the situation mentioned in the last tip, learn when enough is enough. I've seen a realtor friend of mine spend days showing property to buyers who couldn't make up their minds about which house to buy or whether they wanted to buy a new house at all. Why did the realtor keep spending Sunday afternoons showing them property? Because she'd already spent so much time showing them property! |
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