Negotiating in meetings

The time has come to negotiate! You have worked out what you want to say and know what you want to achieve. You have stepped into the meeting room and sat down across the table from Senior Management and now you get to set out your case, and yet you find your courage either trying to get out the door or it has possibly already left you before you stepped into the room.

To be sure to have all of your tools in the room with you when you negotiate follow these simple guidelines:

#1. Build your plan. You can use the Negotiation Template available for a FREE download on our homepage here or the more detailed one we use in the coaching program to establish your plan. You need to uncover what it is you really want and what you know you are worth. Your middle ground if that isn’t possible, your bottom-line take it or leave it position and of course your walk-away.

#2. Next, it’s all about practise. The more you practise and prepare the better. Being able to anticipate the worst-case scenario and have a plan for dealing with it will give you confidence, power and courage.

#3. Take your plan with you into your negotiation meeting. If you find your mind goes blank, you start to sweat, you can’t speak – tap into what you know of yourself in tricky situations and how you deal with them. Refer to your plan. Take some notes. Move yourself literally and metaphorically from that moment back into your confident, powerful and courageous self. Sometimes it’s as little as taking a breath. Looking around the room. Writing a word. Pinching yourself.