After years of training and advising professionals across sectors and countries, I’ve seen the same negotiation patterns repeat — both strengths and common stumbling points. While each situation is unique, your negotiation skills and preparation habits often determine the outcome more than the numbers themselves.
To bring this to life, imagine a real negotiation between two companies: NordPro Instruments, a supplier of high-precision prospecting equipment based in Tromsø, Norway, and SouthTech Supply, a European industrial distributor looking to import these devices for Nordic mining operations.
Though fictional, this case reflects key negotiation dynamics I’ve seen in real settings. Here are nine strategies to strengthen your negotiation skills and conduct more effective negotiations.
1. Improve Your Negotiation Skills by Understanding Interests First
One of the most common mistakes in negotiation is jumping too quickly into numbers or proposed solutions without uncovering what the other side actually cares about. In the NordPro–SouthTech scenario, both sides delayed asking clear, interest-based questions. They spent time explaining their own view but weren’t curious early enough.
When we understand the underlying interests — not just what the other party wants, but why — we open up the space for value creation. That includes concerns, goals, constraints, and pressures. It also means listening for what’s not said. Asking “what does a great deal look like for you?” early on is often far more powerful than defending your proposal.
2. Set the Stage – Early Tone Matters
Negotiations don’t begin with the first offer. They begin long before the moment people sit down — or log in. They begin with the initial email or phone call. In this scenario, one party launched straight into talking, without checking in or giving space for the other to speak. The other side held back and became passive. The result? A chaotic opening that made it harder to align.
Setting the stage is about creating structure, clarity, and psychological safety. That doesn’t mean over-formalizing it — it means showing intent. A few sentences to signal purpose, invite dialogue, and acknowledge the relationship can build the foundation for a more effective process.
3. Use the First Offer to Showcase Your Negotiation Skills
The first offer sends a message — about confidence, expectations, and how you view value. In the scenario, the opening price was stated (€1,500 per unit) without explanation or anchoring. This left the other party uncertain whether the number was fixed or flexible, and it opened the door for unnecessary haggling.
Making the first offer is a strategic move that reflects your level of negotiation skill and preparation. If you’re going to do it, make it well-prepared. Support it with logic, reference points, or comparisons. If you choose to wait and hear the other party’s offer first, be ready to ask the right questions to assess it critically. Either way, first offers should be intentional, not just tactical guesses.
4. Manage Concessions Strategically
In the imagined negotiation, one side reduced their price from €1,500 to €1,075 — a 33% drop — without tying the concession to any condition. This kind of move signals desperation and creates a pattern of one-sided giving.
Concessions should be framed and managed with intention. Rather than just dropping your position, link any movement to something of equal or greater value. For example: “If we’re able to lower the price, could you commit to a larger volume or faster payment terms?” This keeps momentum and balance in the process — and shows that you value your own position as much as theirs.
5. Search for Tradeoffs, Not Just Compromises
Compromises are often necessary, but tradeoffs are where real value is found. In the NordPro–SouthTech scenario, it took too long for either side to bring in package thinking — such as linking price to quantity, delivery timelines, or support services.
A good negotiator looks for differences in priorities. If price is a sticking point, can timing, volume, payment structure, or product scope shift things? The earlier you introduce these trade-off variables; the more room you have to build creative and mutually satisfying agreements. Tradeoffs are one of the most underused negotiation skills, yet they offer great value.
6. Generate Options Before Deciding
One common reason negotiations get stuck is that the conversation becomes black-and-white too fast — with limited room beyond: yes/no, take it or leave it. In the scenario, one party didn’t start asking creative or open-ended questions until they felt boxed in. At that point, the emotional tone had shifted, and creative space was harder to reclaim.
Generating options early opens up the conversation. It signals flexibility and invites the other side to co-create solutions. Asking, “What would it look like if we…?” or “Are there other ways to make this work for both of us?” can lead to breakthroughs — especially when tension is still low, and thinking is still expansive.
7. Use Objective Criteria
One of the cleanest ways to reduce friction in negotiation is to reference objective standards. In this case, neither team referred to external data — such as market comparisons, costs of alternatives, or industry norms — when justifying price or expectations.
Objective criteria make your proposals more credible and depersonalize the discussion. It’s no longer about your number versus theirs — it’s about aligning on what’s fair, standard, or rational based on available data. This approach supports trust and often defuses emotional reactions.
8. Don’t Stop at ‘Yes’ – Explore Post-Settlement Settlements
Once a deal is reached, most people breathe out and stop negotiating. But this is actually a moment of great opportunity. Neither team in the scenario explored whether, now that an agreement was on the table, an even better one could be shaped.
A post-settlement settlement is a way of asking: “Now that we’ve agreed in principle, could we tweak or expand the deal in ways that benefit us both even more?” It requires trust, but it signals professionalism and long-term thinking.
9. Adaptability is a Core Negotiation Skill
Great negotiators adapt — in tone, tactics, and timing. In the NordPro–SouthTech negotiation, one side began to shift gears only after they felt they were losing. The other remained emotionally steady but missed opportunities to show what mattered to them or to take initiative.
Adaptability doesn’t mean compromising your goals. It means reading the moment and choosing responses that fit the context. This includes knowing when to push, when to pause, and when to step into the other side’s shoes. Trust grows when people feel heard, respected, and treated fairly — and that often comes from the smallest adjustments we make along the way.
Final Thought
Negotiation isn’t a performance — it’s a human process shaped by perception, trust, and skill. Whether you’re preparing for a supplier meeting, a stakeholder dialogue, or a strategic contract negotiation, these nine approaches offer a practical roadmap to elevate your negotiation skills.
If you’d like to explore how your team can build stronger negotiation skills, feel free to reach out. Let’s talk.