Bring Your Best Attitude to Every Negotiation
July 23rd, 2006 (Negotiation)
No matter how sleep-deprived, harried, or down-in-the-dumps you may be, always enter the negotiating room perky and assertive. Establish confidence and control from the opening moment. That moment sets a tone for the entire meeting. This fact is true even if you are not officially in charge of the meeting.
Never forget the pleasantries. If the last negotiating session ended on a bad note, clear that away first. Otherwise, you run the risk that unrelated matters may ignite the controversy all over again. If you can resolve the situation up front, you can move forward unfettered. Ignoring such a situation just leaves the ill-will hovering over the negotiating table. The bad feelings creep into and influence every conversation. The negativity taints all the proceedings until it has been cleared away.
As your hand is on the door of the negotiating room or after you have dialed the phone number of your counterpart, put on your attitude. Take a beat and lift yourself up to the occasion. Anything worth doing is worth doing well! Toss your head back - literally. Smile, inside and out. Focus on your immediate purposes. Have your right hand free to shake hands with whoever is there. Improving your attitude just before the session begins can be one of the most valuable moments you spend in a negotiation.