How to Negotiate Any Deal, Any Time

Most people I know say they're not good at negotiating. They honestly feel they're being underpaid at their job. Yet they won't try to negotiate a raise for fear they'll be fired. Or, their landlord flatly refuses to make some needed repairs on their home. They can live without the repairs being made. So, in order to avoid a hassle, they keep quiet.

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? Have you ever been involved in a situation where you felt you were treated unfairly, yet you didn't know how to resolve it? We all face situations like these most every day. Of course, the easiest "remedy" is to just keep quiet and not deal with the problem. But, in reality, the best remedy is to negotiate a resolution so the matter can end.

The first thing you need to do is keep your emotions in check. This means, don't try to cry, shout, swear, whine, moan, or groan your way into getting what you want. This simply won't work. Act like a mature adult and try to keep your emotions contained, no matter how loud the other person might get.

On the same hand, don't allow yourself to fall for tricks. Don't fall for a pity story given to you by the other party. Some people- and believe me, I've been involved in plenty of negotiations- will use whatever device they can to make you feel sorry for them, especially when it comes to money.

Other people will try to bully, or force, you into taking the deal they're offering you. Stand firm and don't give into their pressured tactics either.

Maintain a certain detachment of your feelings whenever you negotiate. This allows you to sit back and look at the situation calmly.

Second, before you begin to actually negotiate your deal, determine exactly what you want. For example, saying to yourself, "I want to buy a brand new Ford truck, and I want to pay the lowest price", is too vague. Instead, you must decide exactly what the highest amount you're willing to pay is.

Or, if you're going to negotiate a raise with your boss, you can't think, "I'm going to ask for more money." Instead, be more specific. "I'm worth at least a ten percent raise."