If you’ve ever been in negotiations with someone who was seemingly determined to dominate the conversation, it’s important to know how to negotiate in good faith.

Learning About Intentional Negotiation

Negotiating intentionally means exploring your values and beliefs, as well as your guiding myths and overall perception of the world. You should think of intentional negotiation as the art of letting other people have your way. So, you’ll need to be clear on what you want and what you’re willing to give in exchange for your desired outcome. It’s also crucial to ensure that you know the outcome you want so you can align your beliefs in support of the intended result of the negotiation.

People often approach negotiations from the standpoint of getting the best deal, despite what this could look like. Once you determine exactly what you want, you’ll know whether the solutions or terms offered by the other party will work for you. Keep in mind that you may need to implement more than one strategy to get what you want out of a negotiation. Be prepared to change your strategy when you see that things aren’t going in your favour.

What Are False Negotiators?

Identifying false negotiators can be challenging, but not doing so could cost you the negotiation. If you’re not able to get what you’re after while negotiating, you could waste a significant amount of time and money. According to research, there are some clues you can look out for to pinpoint false negotiators. These clues include answering questions slowly to make the negotiation process longer, talking about issues that don’t pertain to the negotiation and discussing obstacles associated with closing the deal.

When you ask lots of questions while discussing a deal, you’ll be more likely be able to determine whether you’re dealing with a false negotiator or someone who is conveying their needs and preferences in good faith.

Focus On Your Needs

Make sure you know what you need out of the deal and not just what you’d like. Think about how your desired outcome will help you accomplish specific business goals. You can even create a chart or table to identify how much time, space or money you’d need to make the negotiation worthwhile for you. This is known as principled negotiation and should as a guide during your discourse.

Don’t Forget to Be Objective

Try your best to avoid being emotionally charged during negotiations. In some instances, you may be attempting to reach a compromise when you feel undervalued for your skills or services. Be sure to gather all the facts associated with your negotiations and compare your current salary (as well as the salary you’re ask for) with similar job roles in various parts of the country. If this data is not available, contact colleagues who have jobs similar to yours to help manage your expectations. Be sure that you talk to coworkers who are comfortable having a private discussion with you about these subjects.

Pivot When Necessary

If your salary can’t be negotiated at the moment, all is not lost. Think about the points you can negotiate. Show the person you’re negotiating with that you’re willing to work with him or her by asking questions and if you know you need an initial investment to support isn’t an option you can say something like, “while we may not be able to come to an agreement on right now,  How would you recommend we move forward?

Control Your Feelings

Until about two decades ago, researchers didn’t pay much attention to how emotions play a role in negotiations. A person’s feelings can influence his or her conflict resolution methods and ability to come an agreement. Emotions can also enhance or prohibit a person’s willingness to create value when dealing with another party. Negotiation scholars started focusing on tactics for effective conciliation and are still exploring whether individuals feel generally positive or negative and how this affects the process.

It is also important to note that emotions like regret, anger, envy and anxiety can play a role in how people discuss their needs and preferences. Knowing how to properly express these emotions can certainly impact negotiations and could help or hurt negotiation outcomes. Understanding your intentions and those of others can help you navigate these negotiations.

Caryl Anne Crowne is a contributing writer and media specialist for Negotiations Training Institute. She often produces content for a variety for negotiation blogs.