Chess board negotiation tactics by Oben Desmond

Level up your Negotiation Skills

Have you ever felt undervalued or underpaid? You’re not alone. Many professionals, and entrepreneurs struggle to develop negotiation skills, leading to:

  • Below-standard salaries: Accepting jobs that don’t reflect your true worth.
  • Underpricing products and services: Losing out on revenue and profitability.
  • Not standing up for your value: Missing opportunities because you don’t advocate for yourself.
  • Struggling to pay bills or rent: Living paycheck to paycheck despite working hard.

But here’s the good news: research shows that effective negotiators can earn up to 20% more over their lifetime compared to those who don’t negotiate. With the right techniques, you can take control of your future.

Common Myths About Negotiation

Let’s bust five of the most common myths about negotiation that hold people back:

  1. “Negotiation is all about talking.”

    • Truth: Listening is more powerful. Understanding the other party’s needs gives you an edge.

  2. “Being empathetic makes you look weak.”

    • Truth: Empathy builds trust, helping you find win-win outcomes.

  3. “You always have to bargain or compromise.”

    • Truth: Great negotiators focus on creating value, not just splitting differences.

  4. “Negotiation is confrontational.”

    • Truth: It’s a collaborative process to solve problems, not a fight.

  5. “You either have the skills or you don’t.”

    • Truth: Negotiation is a learned skill. With practice, anyone can improve.

In this article, you’ll learn actionable techniques that will transform how you approach negotiations, whether it’s for a raise, a new client, or pricing your products.

Techniques to Use in Negotiations

1. Do Your Research

  • Before stepping into any negotiation, gather information.
  • Research about the client/prospect
  • Know their strengths, weaknesses, needs, challenges. The more you know the better
  • Example: If you’re pricing a service, research your competitors’ rates and highlight what makes you different.

2. Use Mirroring

  • Subtly repeat the last few words the other person says to build rapport.
  • Mirroring is so powerful. I use it all the time to get my counterpart to keep talking.
  • The more information you can get during the conversation the better placed you will be
  • How to Mirror: If they say, “We’re looking for someone reliable,” respond with, “Reliable?”. Mirroring will make the other person more likely to want to explain themselves

3. Label Emotions

  • Identify and acknowledge emotions to show you’re listening.
  • Labeling emotion is simply assuming what they are feeling at a particular point in time, then saying it out loud.
  • For Example: If you sense they are concerned about something, you can ask: “It seems like you’re concerned about meeting deadlines?”
  • Labeling makes your counterpart realize that you are listening and you understand them

4. Practice Tactical Empathy

  • Put yourself in their shoes to understand their perspective.
  • People have opinions when negotiating. You have to understand those opinions (But not necessarily agree with them)
  • If they are concerned about security, you can place your offer in a way that looks more secure hence you win their trust
  • For Example you can say: “I understand you want the most secure solution. Here’s how my solution delivers more security than any product out there”

5. Leverage Reciprocity with Gifts

  • Giving something upfront creates a sense of obligation.
  • Humans beings are usually indebted and want to always repay good deeds
  • Example: Offer a free resource, gift, consultation, or small discount during discussions to show goodwill.

6. Speak Value Over Price

  • Emphasize benefits instead of justifying the cost.
  • Most customers will want to argue and bring down your price, it is your job to make them realize that the value you are providing matches the price you are offering
  • When negotiating a salary raise you can tell your employer why you deserve to have that salary rather than solely bargaining on what they say they can afford
  • Example: A business person negotiating the value of his service could say: “This service will save you 10 hours weekly, allowing you to focus on growing your business.”

7. Use Guarantees, Urgency, and Scarcity

  • Reduce risks for the other party with guarantees.
  • There are several types of guarantees. You can provide a guarantee to reduce scepticism and build trust
  • Add urgency and scarcity to motivate action. Frame your offer such that people realize it will not last for ever (urgency) and that it is hard to find(scarcity)
  • Example of using Guarantees & urgency: “I offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, but this offer is only available for the next week.”

Put It Into Action

Knowing these techniques isn’t enough—practice is key. Try them in your next conversation, negotiation, or deal. Each time, you’ll gain more confidence and achieve better results.

Call to Action

Hi, I’m Oben Desmond, an IT expert passionate about helping businesses succeed. My company, Lambdaa, specializes in high-quality IT services, including:

  • Website development
  • Mobile app development
  • Enterprise solutions

Let’s collaborate to bring your ideas to life. Contact me at:
📧 Email: info@lambdaa.org
🌐 Website: www.lambdaa.org