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How can I start and finish each negotiation on a high note?

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Host: How can I start and finish each negotiation on a high note?

Sean McArdle: Well, that is a good question. A high note in negotiation means that you are practicing what we call, Win-Win Negotiating and the most important thing about Win-Win negotiating is to understand that I want to come back and work with you again. That is why I am practicing this form instead of what we would call Win-Lose negotiation.

So, in order to start on a high note say, I look forward to this, the fact is, I hope we can do business for years, or It is really nice to do this negotiation with you because if you can work with me, I have more of this type of work to do later. So, it s really a skill called Framing. When we start, we frame the negotiation in positive terms. We frame it in terms of positive outcomes and we talk about the future which says to the person you are negotiating with, this is a Win-Win negotiation and I want both of us to be happy with it.

At the end of a negotiation, a Win-Win negotiation should never leave in the other person feeling like they do not want to come back and work with you. It should never leave the other person feeling like they were not treated fairly. Now, this kind of flies on the face of one of my rules about fairness because, I believe that fairness is really a subjective way of saying, This is what I want and I did not get it, like when you were a child, you said, That is not fair. Well, this is more like the feeling of a child. When you negotiate for a Win-Win, you want people to feel is though the negotiation was fair, even though in fact, you only get what you negotiate for and whatever you get is fair enough.

Expert: Sean McArdle

Sean McArdle is a master motivator and speaker in the areas of sales, negotiation, strategic planning and personal development. His distinctions about what makes for a successful career and life come directly from his own experiences. His stories will take you on a personal journey from living under a bridge at 25 to negotiating some of the largest printing contracts in the publishing industry at 28. Since 1992, More »