From Results to Relationships: Four Skills That Make Negotiations Better

Why good negotiations don’t just happen by themselves but are the result of skills that can be trained and developed.

Key skills for strong negotiation performance

Many believe that good negotiations simply happen. But both experience and research show something different:

it is about awareness and skills.

Almost 20 years of data from The Negotiation Challenge – also known as the Negotiation World Championship, where I serve as part of the expert judging panel, clearly show that those who succeed do so because they have developed specific and measurable abilities.

In a recent article in Harvard Business Manager (October 2025), Remi Smolinski and Peter Kesting share their findings from two decades of observing and assessing negotiation teams. Their research points to three key insights:

1. Negotiation performance is measurable. Skilled negotiators consistently achieve better results and stronger relationships.
2. Outcome alone is not enough. A deal only matters if it also builds constructive and lasting relationships.
3. Those who perform best master four skills that allow them to handle even the most complex negotiations.

The four skills

1. Language and emotions
   Negotiation takes place in words, but words are never neutral. The ability to use language clearly while managing both one’s own and the other party’s emotions is essential.
2. Negotiation intelligence
   This is the combination of analytical preparation, structure, and flexibility during the process. Those who prepare well also gain the freedom to improvise and adapt in the meeting with the other party.
3. Relationship building
   Every negotiation is also an investment in the future. Strong relationships make the road ahead smoother and open new opportunities.
4. Moral judgment
   Trust is fundamental. Without integrity, even a well-written agreement may fall apart.

Negotiation can be trained

Smolinski and Kesting’s research makes one thing very clear: negotiation ability can be measured and developed. It is not about natural talent, but about practice, feedback, and conscious training over time.

What we see at WNI

At Wægger Negotiation Institute, we recognize these findings in our daily work. Our training and sparring sessions are not only about reaching an agreement, but also about creating lasting value through:

• Trust and rapport as the foundation for dialogue
• Structured preparation that allows room for both method and improvisation
• Effective communication to handle both language and emotions
• Judgment and awareness that balance firmness with fairness

Both research and practice point in the same direction:

negotiation is not about chance, but about skills.

And when we develop these skills, we create better agreements and stronger relationships.

Negotiation is a craft

Two decades of competition data confirm what many already know: negotiation is a craft. Those who master language and emotions, intelligence, relationships, and moral judgment consistently perform better. Training these skills gives negotiators the ability to create agreements that hold, and relationships that last.