WIN's Top Negotiation Tips of 2022
Written by Lauren Nish, WIN Staff
2022 was a long year, full of trials and tribulations, redefining the post-pandemic world. However, these trials and tribulations have provided us all with some great, even if unwelcome, learning experiences. And, as a little holiday treat, we've decided to share the 12 most useful things we've learned (smart girls don't gate keep!). So, without further ado...
1. Be Comfortable With Silence
Silence is maybe the biggest tool in a negotiator’s toolbox. Pausing has been proven to improve outcomes for everyone, not just you. Silence can allow people to take back/adjust their offers, or simply give both sides a chance to reflect, think, and proceed creatively.
2. Don't Take The Bait
What is the bait? Blowing a gasket when someone talks over you, insults you, undermines you, ignores or overpowers you, or tries to twist your words. Instead, take a breath, stay silent for a moment; let them be embarrassed about what they’ve said, and proceed in a calm manner.
3. Pretend You're Negotiating For Others, Rather Than Yourself
A study showed that women have better success when they negotiate on behalf of someone else. So, go into negotiations framing it as if you’re negotiating for your best friend, or your child, or your partner, and see how much better you come out.
4. Negotiate Often In Your Relationships
This year has taught us that negotiation is everywhere: our jobs, our homes, our families, etc. We negotiate when we split chores with our roommates, or set boundaries with our partners and children. Relationships are always evolving, and as such, you should be negotiating frequently in all of your relationships to best benefit all parties involved.
5. Practice
Nerves are reason enough to practice. But also things sound different when you say them versus just think them. This is additional reason to practice before your next negotiation. As they say: practice makes perfect!
6. Know Your Value
Do your homework! Research, a brag sheet, and creatively thinking of the things you bring to the table are hugely important for negotiation. Although numbers, projects, and sales are typical value-points, you can also justify your worth via personality, or even being the only woman on the otherwise all-male staff. Don’t be afraid to use everything you’ve got to prove your worth.
7. Establish An Anchor
Establish a number or anchor early on around which the negotiation will revolve. For example, in salary negotiations, anchoring the conversation by expressing your salary expectations (assuming they are well-researched and grounded) first will help communicate your worth and expectations.
8. Master Your Non-Verbal Cues And Communication
Did you know that as much as 93% of communication is non verbal! Facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact, gestures, posture and even appearance are all important parts of non-verbal communication. Make sure to understand what messages you give off with these, and use them to your advantage.
9. Negotiate Communally
Remember there is strength in numbers. Bolster your argument by getting some communal force behind it. For example, if you’re trying to negotiate a 4-day work week at your company, go into the negotiation having polled everyone in the office and bring those numbers into the negotiation. Saying all 200 employees agree they want to try a 4-day work week, and would consider leaving the company because of this gives a lot more power to your negotiation.
10. Practice Being Assertive
There is a fine line between being pushy and being assertive. Being assertive means being clear about what you want and why, and making the other side of the negotiation understand you can’t be bulldozed. Some tips to being an assertive negotiator include making the first offer, making counter offers, and understanding hardball tactics like bluffing and lying so you can expose them when they are at play.
11. Manage Your Emotions
Stress is the top emotion you want to manage during negotiation, as it can make you agree to bad deals and alter your walk-away point, BATNA, and ideal outcome. In order to manage stress during your negotiation, make sure to practice negotiating with someone to understand what causes you stress during the process. That way, at the very least, you can be aware of your emotions, and try to manage them during your negotiation.
12. When Negotiating Salary, Use K.N.O.W.
Knowledge
Know what you’re negotiating, who you’re negotiating with, what you want and why you want it, and the same with the other party.
If this is a salary negotiation, ask yourself, have you researched the field to know the competitive landscape? Have you assessed all the information you could about the offer on the table, what the company is looking for, or what its reputation is?
Needs
Know your own needs as well as the needs of your counter-party, or negotiating partner. Tune into yourself and free-write what your ideal outcome of the negotiation looks like. What do you really want out of the conversation? What would make you happy? Be careful not to fall into the familiar trap of assuming the “winning” result is what you want or you could be throwing your negotiation weight into the wrong vehicle for you.
Options
Before you go into a negotiation, the #1 piece of leverage you can have is a strong alternative or counter option. BATNA, which stands for Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement is a fancy way of saying, if you don’t accept this offer, or if this offer falls through, what is your alternative. If you have a strong alternative (or even better, multiple strong alternatives) you will have more leverage in the negotiation and it will influence how you negotiate and what your walk-away point is.
Worth
Too many women hold themselves back for fear of being perceived as aggressive, bossy, or demanding. Knowing your worth will enable you to move beyond that fear, to simply seeing your ask as a linear equation to your self-worth and the value you will be bringing to the company, project/, or relationship. When you know your worth and back it up with real facts, experiences, examples, your unique skill-set & personality, your proven perseverance, etc. you will feel more confident expressing your worth and sticking by it.
Salary negotiations always tend to be overwhelming, if not nerve-racking, but negotiating is always worth it. If women continue to shy away from salary negotiations, we face a potential loss between $650,000 - $1 million over the span of a 30-year career. Negotiating for even a $5,000 raise sets you up for more raises and higher salaries later in your career.
If you’re not sure of the best place to start, our WIN Team is here for you! Book your free consultation with a negotiation expert today to learn more.
