Business negotiations are an important part of keeping a company prosperous. Making good business deals isn't easy because there can be extreme pressure to make a profitable negotiation for the company. Yet whether you have our own business or work for another company, an assertive attitude is often necessary during business negotiations. Passiveness and aggression seldom work when making business deals, but an assertive, strategic stance can lead to profit and success. Some business people feel that an aggressive nature and an assertive attitude can assure profitable business deals.
But what if you are the type of person that likes to avoid confrontation and doesn't want to rock the boat or ruffle any feathers when it comes to making business agreements? This is where being assertive pays off. You don't have to be an aggressive go-getter type to make great business negotiations as long as you never under value yourself, the company you work for and the trade itself. In other words, it is okay not to be the greediest tyrant on the block, but in no way can you lack confidence or be passive and just give in to a deal that you feel isn’t fair.
Most of us have heard it said that we should never just take the first offer and this is usually good advice. Do your homework and gather all the information you need and more. Prepare for your business negotiations like a lawyer would prepare to win a court case. Figure out why your offer or the offer you want to accept is the right one and convince the other party of this. Strategy is everything when it comes to negotiating good business deals.
Play devil's advocate and argue the other side to yourself before you complete your strategy and decide what the opening and final offers should be. The better you can anticipate the other side's strategy, the more convincing and powerful your negotiations can be. Also, in accurately summarizing their side it shows you're thinking about a win-win situation even if your main goal is to make as profitable a negotiation as possible.