How to sharpen your negotiation skills in five minutes.

Whether you are addressing the concerns of your employees to create a positive and productive work environment or you are looking to close a deal with your prospective client. Our work and personal lives are filled with one negotiation after another. Although, it may feel like some people are born with exemplary negotiation skills, but if you ask any pros from the world of politics, business, and media and they'll admit there is some science to this art. Winning every negotiation may not be always possible, but if you stick to certain principles in life you may just be able to tilt things in your favour.

Before we tell you few principles that one must follow to be a skillful negotiator, always remember, a good negotiation is not about maneuvering once you’re in the trenches, but rather being prepared before you sit down on the table. What that means is one has to always take some time to define what one wants out of the negotiation.

Maintain the autonomy...

Autonomy is the freedom to make decisions without somebody else imposing a decision on you. Whenever in a negotiation, your proposal should never make the opposite person feel like, it's a take it, or leave it deal. Always remember it has nothing to do with the rationality of the discussion, it has everything to do with the process. It's about the fact that whether the other person’s autonomy feels respected or imposed upon.

Establish Trust...

Don't make the negotiation a competitive race, it's not a game you and you don't have to win it. Be natural and rather build consensus so that you can nurture a long-term relationship. Keep the process fair and let the opposite person make the case. Be patient with the debate and generate that trust for you, gradually.

Don't sweat in a heated conversation...

This is an important skill that every entrepreneur should develop over the period of time. When the opposite person starts demanding everything from relevant to ridiculous, the idea is to not react and engage in a hand-to-hand combat on every point. Choose to focus on few which are extremely important and nod ‘Fine’ with the rest. Still if your negotiation is not coming under the zone of possible agreement, then have enough discipline to walk away.

To adapt these simple principles may not even take more than five minutes, but the deeper plot here is to stick by the rules at all time. Following this will definitely give you an advantage and you will be more prepared before you walk into an negotiation.

Devesh Chawla is the author of this article on Business Mentors. Find more information, about Business Startup Ideas