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“How To Negotiate Better By Knowing What Value Is” Negotiation Tip of the Week

“To understand someone better, understand what they value. Then, seek to understand why they have those values.” – Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book!

“How To Negotiate Better By Knowing What Value Is”

 

What do you know about value?

“… I’m so sorry for your inconvenience. I can upgrade you to a better room.” Those were the words spoken by a front desk person at a 5-star hotel. He was informing a guest of what he could do as the result of the patron experiencing a restless night. The patron’s restlessness was due to his loud neighbors in other rooms on the floor. The patron had begun calling the front desk around 12-midnight to complain. Throughout the night, he called several more times – all to no avail to squelch the noise that prevented him from sleeping. He thought to himself, and this yammering is ceaseless.

When he checked out of the hotel the next morning, he told the desk manager of his experience. The manager extended apologies on behalf of the hotel, stated that the night’s stay would be removed from the guest’s bill and asked if there was anything else that he could do. The patron said no. I appreciate the gestures you’ve made. Then he said, “all I wanted was a good night’s sleep. I have an important meeting today. And I just wanted to be fresh and well-rested.” As he left the hotel, he wondered if he’d ever stay at that location again.

Do you see the difference between how the front desk person and the desk manager addressed the situation? It’s slight. But it’s also powerful. The desk manager extended apologies, and he asked the guest if there was anything else that he could do. He was seeking the guest’s perspective of value. In other words, he wanted to know what was essential to the guest. If you don’t know what someone values, you don’t know what to offer them. That means you’re making blind offers when doing so in a negotiation.

When you negotiate, there are five factors to keep in mind about value.

  1. People have a different perspective on what they value and why. Once you know their value perspective, seek to understand it.

 

  1. Don’t assume because someone is like you that they’ll like you. Even when people have similar values, there will be nuances that separate their opinions about value. To assume you share exact ideals as your negotiation counterpart can lead to offers and counteroffers that are not valued. In a worst-case scenario, such offers can be damaging to your negotiation efforts.

 

  1. When you’re unsure of a person’s value, ask what they’d least like to lose. The reply will indicate what is of most importance.

 

  1. To test someone about their value, ask, “if there’s one thing that I could grant you in this negotiation, what would it be?” Once again, that person’s value proposition will reside in their response.

 

  1. This last suggestion may fall into the red herring category. It entails discovering something you possess that’s of great value to the other negotiator. Entice that person to believe that he can acquire it but at a very high cost. The higher he’s willing to pay for the acquisition, the higher the value of possessing it will be. Be cautious when engaging this means of acquiring someone’s value perspective. If you don’t allow them to receive it after getting them to make substantial offers, they could become unwilling to grant you much after that. Then, the negotiation might hit a roadblock.

 

To become a better negotiator, you must always understand what is of value to your negotiation counterpart. Once you do, making better offers will be more comfortable – because you’ll know which offers possess the highest value … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#Value #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

Categories
Best Practices Body Language Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“Is Your logic Killing The Best of Your Argument” -Negotiation Insight

 

“To be successful, know when to use logic or illogic. Either can kill or enhance an argument.” – Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book!

“Is Your logic Killing The Best of Your Argument”

How do you shape your logic before presenting an argument or rebuttal? And, would it be different if you were a whistleblower?

“The whistleblower doesn’t know what happened. He got his information from other sources.” Those were the words reportedly that came from officials at the White House. The words were stated to discredit the whistleblower. In reality, his account appears to be very accurate. And his report was laid out in a very logical format.

 

When presenting information, consider the following seven suggestions.

 

  1. Make your arguments easy to embrace and understand. The more comfortable someone is in adopting a rebuttal, the more likely it is to persuade them.

 

  1. Solicit empathy – When positioning a response to a question, attempt to place it as the other person would. That’ll allow that person to see herself in your response. It’ll also make it more difficult for her to refute it because she would have engaged in the same manner as you.

 

  1. Before exposing your logic, think of where it might lead and how you might defend your position.

 

  1. To make responses more potent, don’t defuse them. Adding unrelated or challenging to grasp information might defuse your position. Adding too many arguments can lead to a lack of understanding of your primary point. Thus, someone may become confused as the result of focusing on another aspect you’ve mentioned and giving that point more attention.

 

  1. Demeanor – The persona you cast is how people will perceive you. Thus, if you threw the image of someone that’s challenging to deal with, you shouldn’t be surprised when someone deals with you in that manner. Conversely, if you position yourself as someone amenable, they’ll tend to respond to you in that manner. There’s always value in positioning yourself to meet the outcome you seek. Know what that is before projecting your persona, and you’ll have a better chance of convincing others to view situations from your perspective.

 

  1. Don’t appear guilty when refuting a claim that’s logged against you. There are times when how you say something is more important than what you say. That’s because people will perceive your words through the body language gestures you emit while speaking. Therefore, if your words and body language are misaligned, and your nonverbal behavior sends signals of guilt, those will be the overriding indicators that are received. Thus, you’ll become viewed as being more guilty than innocent.

 

  1. Acting crazy – “Crazy is as crazy does.” That’s a cliché denoting how some can feign craziness and use it to advantage their position. They’ll be times when it’s appropriate to act crazy. Doing so will ward off some people that might attack you. And others will keep their distance because they’re not sure how you’ll behave or respond in situations. Thus, this can be a very potent tool to use in certain circumstances. Those environments might occur when you don’t want to appear predictable, or when you want your opponent to stay on guard. That diversion can keep his attention focused on other activities.

 

What does this have to do with negotiations?

 

Every negotiation follows a logical flow. Even when it appears to be illogical, there’s a flow that will become logical. Hence, the better your logic is for what you want to occur during a negotiation, taking into consideration of the other negotiator’s reactions, the greater control you’ll have in that process. That should allow you to control the talks, which in turn should lead to a higher negotiation outcome for you … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#Argument #Whistleblower #Logic #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

 

Categories
Management Marketing Negotiations Operations Sales Skills Women In Business

“Are You Better Or Worse Under A Pressure Deadline” – Negotiation Insight

 

“Pressure stems from how it’s perceived. To alter it, alter your perspective.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

 

Click here to get the book!

“Are You Better Or Worse Under A Pressure Deadline”

I’ll ask you a question in a moment. It’s one that you should have a ready answer. Don’t analyze your response before stating it – answer it in your mind as soon as you read it. The question is, are you better or worse under a pressured deadline?

What was your first answer? Did you think of one before that? Okay. The last question was a trick. Because I asked about your first answer, therefore, there should not have been one before it. But sometimes, when you’re under pressure, you don’t think logically. And, in some cases, you don’t realize that you’re outside the boundaries of reasoning. That can lead to adverse outcomes.

Now that you’re more aware of the thought process you engaged in, analyze the first question I asked again. Are you better or worse under a pressured deadline? Do you have a different answer this time? If so, what caused you to change it? If it’s the same, what did you consider in not changing it? Even if you didn’t alter your response, what were some of your additional thoughts?

You should always be aware of how you perform under pressure and the circumstances that affect your performance. Stress impacts your thought process, which affects your performance. And deadlines impact pressure.

The following are ways that you can perform better under the pressure of deadlines and enhance your performance.

 

Psychology of Deadlines:

Mindset – Be keenly aware of how you act and react under pressure. You should be mindful of how different forms of stress impact your mind and performance too. If you’re aware of that, you’ll be better prepared to address the challenges that will confront you. Even when some of them appear in the form of surprises.

Self-actualization – There will be times when your actions are motivated by a drive to prove to yourself that you can achieve a goal. Even if you’re aware that you have other items with higher priorities, you may elevate a less critical task above them. Then, as the deadline approaches, to complete the other tasks, you find pressure building. And you like it!

The point to remember about self-actualization is, you have to balance it. Weigh it against the importance of addressing real priorities versus those you make up to challenge yourself. While there’s nothing wrong with challenging yourself, do it when it serves you best. Don’t create unnecessary stress for yourself.

Competition – In some environments, you’re more competitive than in others. Know what motivates you to become more competitive in specific situations. And determine what position you’ll play in that competitive game.

Here’s the point. Others can create stress in you but only if you allow them. So, if you determine how you’ll react in environments where someone attempts to motivate you by pitting others against one another, you can choose to participate or not. You’re the one in control of your thoughts, your mind, and your actions. So, control yourself.

 

What does this have to do with negotiations?

 

Deadlines are constant tools that negotiators attempt to employ in a negotiation. They do so because it stimulates pressure. And, good negotiators are aware that people respond differently to pressure. Thus, a good negotiator knows how to exact action by exciting pressure points. She does so based on the activities she wants her opponent to enact.

If you want to become a more efficient negotiator, always consider how you’ll use deadlines to induce pressure. And how you’ll use that as a tool to nudge the other negotiator in one direction versus another. Having a well thought out plan to implement, what could prove to be a decisive instrument, will allow you to control a negotiation better. Having that ability will enable you to have more favorable negotiation outcomes … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

#Pressure #Deadlines #Negotiate #Negotiation #Negotiator #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #Success

 

Categories
Entrepreneurship Investing Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills

Seven Sales Person Cop-Outs

I’ve been helping salespeople and sales leaders become better at their craft for a while.  I’ve seen greatness and, well, less great.  Here are some of the all-time worst things I’ve heard salespeople tell themselves or their managers, actually thinking they were doing well.  (I’m not including anything I’ve heard from salespeople who knew better and were just trying to get away with something.  That’s a whole different set of lessons).

It’s the Company’s Job to Make a Profit at the Price I Sold

Far too many sales forces are divorced from the responsibility of business: to make a profit. This happens regularly in companies compensated only on revenue, not on margins. I don’t care if “it’s hard to measure profit on a given deal because of internal transfer prices” or any other excuse.  If a sales force isn’t compensated on profit, they focus on easy-to-win revenue.

When this is carried to an extreme, sales people feel entitled to sell at discounts…even insane discounts.  I actually heard this from a guy who claimed to be a sales consultant.  I hope his clients survived.

Here’s what sales leaders should coach instead. You need to have conversations about customer value…with customers.  This shouldn’t stop with selling value.  It should carry through toward monetizing value with the customer. Then, pricing – even premium pricing – becomes a comfortable afterthought.  High pricing becomes a bargain.

Great salespeople can sell high volume and high margins.  I know. I’ve seen it. In the mirror.

But I TOLD Him/Her ____

Sales is not one of those jobs where you can get away with simply “telling”, making your listener responsible for understanding what you meant.  Those jobs exist in departments like accounting (and such poor communicators seldom rise to middle management).

The commission for “I did my job, but the customer misunderstood” is zero.  Salespeople are responsible for the picture that forms in the other guy’s head.

Value exists only in a customer’s mind.  If a salesperson simply barfs some “value messaging” they were given by marketing…without having a conversation to confirm that value formed between a prospect’s ears, they are a teller, not a seller.  If that seller doesn’t also confirm how much value formed, they may be the person who thinks “it’s the company’s responsibility to make a profit at the price I sold”.

Our Value is [insert feature here]

The most critical question a sales coach can ask is “what’s our value in this situation?” In fact, if that’s the only question a coach asks, they can learn a lot about how sellers are selling. When sellers have great answers for this question, they probably did everything your methodology teaches them to do. If answers don’t articulate an understanding of customer value, it doesn’t matter how many methodologies they performed; the sale is still in trouble.

When salespeople answer “what’s our value” with a feature or a seller capability, they don’t understand the value. Customers buy outcomes, not products or services. Value forms in the customer’s mind around those outcomes, not your shiny features or stunning capabilities.

Sales coaches who allow value to be described in terms of a seller features or capabilities are failing their salespeople. Value is the desirability of an outcome (hopefully measured in dollars or something just as measurable).  Accept no substitutes.

Customers Don’t Buy Your Product, They Buy You.

Slavery is illegal.  Customers can’t buy you.  As I said above, customers buy outcomes.

This old saying has merit but is meant to communicate how important the seller-customer relationship is.  Specifically, the critical aspect of “relationship” is credibility.  Personal affinity (knowing birthdays, hobbies, expending entertainment budget, etc.) is useful for some buyer-seller relationships, but not for many.

Credibility, though, is foundational to every successful customer relationship.  When a customer is considering some purchase to obtain an outcome, they always consider execution risk. That is, they estimate how likely it is that the purchase will actually result in the desired outcome.  Salesperson credibility forms the foundation of that assessment.  Without credibility, very little buying will actually happen.

Yes, they buy as a result of your credibility while connecting their desired outcome to a purchase, but…they’re buying the outcome.  Always.

Purchasing Says They Like Our ____ Better, but We Have to Meet the Competitor’s Price

I know a number of purchasing people, and they all confirm this truth:

Modern purchasing/procurement professionals are chartered with buying the best total value.

These same purchasing people confirm this truth as well:

Modern purchasing/procurement professionals are not chartered, trained, paid, or given enough time to proactively uncover and evaluate total value.

So…whose job is it to assemble a value picture for them?  That’s right.   A seller’s.  Professionalism and bedside manner counts. Credibility counts even more.  Enlisting the evaluations of experts within the buying organization to validate the value story is often part of the game.

If a seller doesn’t assemble a validated value picture, value doesn’t form in a purchasing person’s mind, and guess what they use to break the tie? Yep. Price.  They like ___ better means they do indeed like it better, but nobody helped monetize that for them…and they aren’t chartered, trained, paid, or have time to do it themselves.

Purchasing Owns the Budget

Purchasing really owns the budget for supplies and equipment used in the purchasing department.  Period.  Salespeople who are led to believe purchasing owns a budget are incorrect.  Sales coaches who let them work under this misconception are damaging careers and losing sales.

Whenever purchasing makes you believe they own the budget, it’s because they believe your offer has no differentiated value. In their minds, there is no need to bother people inside the company with a nonexistent value proposition.  In fairness to purchasing, letting a seller of a non-differentiated product/service shouldn’t happen.  Undue influence, like “whiskey and tickets” shouldn’t shape a commodity purchasing decision.  If your offer’s only differentiation is courtside seats, that shouldn’t be allowed to shape a decision.

As your offer’s differentiation diminishes vs. the next viable choice, the need to analyze value diminishes, and the entire buying organization feels safe in delegating the buying decision to purchasing. Purchasing doesn’t technically own the budget in these cases, but the organization gives de facto authority to purchasing. This only happens, though, when sellers create no value in the customer’s mind. These are the kind of sales environment that is about to be conducted by bots, AI, etc.

I’m Talking to All of the Right People

Complex B2B sales methodologies help sales professionals organize their selling efforts among a multi-person buying ecosystem.  While they’re handy for organizing an approach to an identified set of people, they aren’t that great at identifying all of the appropriate parties.  Most simply tell you “identify everyone, then use our tool”.

When somebody at a customer tells your salesperson the set of people they’ve engaged internally, how does a salesperson – or their coach — know that list wasn’t kept short in order to make somebody’s job easier?  Should you expect anyone at your customer to know how all of your capabilities translate to outcomes throughout their company?

Here’s the reality:  companies silo themselves more narrowly every year. Silos become sub-specialties, then sub-sub-silos, then soda straws. Only one soda straw has budget to buy your offer, but many benefit.  As customer subdivide, more soda straws benefit.  People in your budget-holding soda straw have three things working against them: 1) they no longer have a big-picture view of their own company 2) engaging all the people they really should make decision complexity awful and dysfunctional simply from a committee size standpoint 3) nobody at the buying company has your sellers’ expertise in the domain of possible outcomes.

If your selling organization hasn’t built the business acumen to help customers navigate these challenges, it won’t happen. Customers aren’t equipped – and shouldn’t be.  That’s your job.

Summing Up

I hope you didn’t find any of these hitting home.  If you did, though.  I’m here to talk.  Contact me if you’d like to stop hearing these statements in your sales organization.

To your success!

Categories
Entrepreneurship Human Resources Marketing Negotiations Skills Women In Business

“Caution Can Make You More Valuable and Powerful” – Negotiation Insight

 

“Perceived value can lead to power. But caution is what connects them.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

“Caution Can Make You More Valuable and Powerful”

Caution without proper deliberation is nothing more than indecisiveness for lack of direction.

All seven of the members were in a state of confusion. They had differing opinions about what action to take, and they felt time running out. The leader of the group said, we have to proceed with caution. Then, he asked each individual, in private, to state how they arrived at their conclusion.

Finally, he reconvened the meeting. And he emphatically announced the action that the group would take. The power contained in his pronouncement left no ambiguity about his conviction to that action. Everyone looked at him in amazement. That was due to the respect they had for how he’d come to his decision. They viewed him as being more valuable and powerful than he’d been in the past.

What do you consider before making decisions? And, to what degree does caution play a role in your decision-making process?  The following are ways you can improve the perception of your power and make yourself more valuable to others.

 

Caution Versus Haste:

Depending on the circumstances, making hasty decisions can be beneficial. You can say the same about being overly cautious when making decisions, too. But too much caution can cause an opportunity to dissolve before you have the chance to address it. While being hasty can vanish future opportunities that never materialize because of your current haste.

If you have to make impactful choices that will occur in the future, prepare for them sooner than later. Consult knowledge holders that can give sage advice. From that, adopt the most beneficial direction. Then, allow your thoughts to simmer into a more cohesive form of logic. That will dampen emotions from hijacking your thought process.

 

Seeking Advice – Setting The Stage:

When seeking advice, let those that offer an opinion know that you may not wholly agree with their assessment. And, inform them that their information will have an impact on the final decision. Doing that will make them feel valued.

By framing how you’ll use their input, you set expectations. And, when you set expectations, you shape the boundaries for what might occur. When you do that, it disallows others from legitimately stating they thought something else would happen.

 

People want you to listen to them – hear them. Let them speak. They’ll perceive themselves as possessing power because they’ll think you thought enough to solicit their opinion. That’ll enhance the value they have of you.

Thus, by seeking their advice, you’ll increase their perspective of the value you have for them, which will bestow that power back to you. It becomes a completed circle. By making others feel good, they’ll feel good about being a source of value.

Caution – be mindful that people view environments based on their outlook. And that will shade how they see the world and the opinions they have. Those variables will impact their thoughts and suggestions.

 

What does this have to do with negotiations?

 

First, you have to have a firm understanding of the problem you’re addressing. That means not miscommunicating per how the other negotiator views the situation. As mentioned earlier, you should seek input from those that may add value to the final solution or outcome. When negotiating, that includes the other negotiator, too.

When seeking the process that led to his decisions, understand the mindset that developed those conclusions. If possible, discover his advisors and their mindset, too. Also, assess how you might play to their vanities if they exist. Everyone wants to feel valued. That leads them to believe their more powerful. As it serves your purpose, enhance their feeling by seeking their input. If getting what you want in the negotiation is essential to you, doing that will aid you in achieving a successful negotiation outcome … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

#Caution #Power #Powerful #Valuable #Negotiate #Negotiator #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #Success

 

Categories
Best Practices Culture Growth Human Resources Leadership Skills Technology

Increase Employee Skills to Decrease Talent Shortages

When it comes to the future of your industry, how secure do you feel, not only in your position but in your career and abilities as well? The era in which you go to school for a specific skill or trade, develop your acumen and grow a career until retirement has passed. The future of your career doesn’t depend on whether employment is available at a given company; it depends on how employable you are. This requires constant learning to be proactive in refining the skills you have to fit the market in its current state, as well as its ever-changing demands.

We’re Living in Transformational Times 

As the Three Digital Accelerators (bandwidth, computing power, and storage) continuously grow, new positions emerge in the tech sector, and traditional jobs get overhauled. This means the skills required to do these jobs change, and it’s up to both employees and employers to keep up with these trends.

If your job description isn’t already changing, it probably will in the near future. You can’t afford to stand still in your career like generations past. You can’t simply coast along and not pursue more training or a better education tailored to the skills you’ll find yourself needing.

Many unemployed or underemployed individuals are still having difficulty landing jobs. Even working professionals looking to make a move, whether lateral or upward, are finding difficulty in locating open positions suited to their particular abilities. But blaming the economy is now a misperception: in our ever-shifting economic landscape and technological evolution, many once-common jobs are disappearing. Simultaneously, new roles are opening up, but companies are experiencing difficulty filling these positions.

Specific Skill Sets Needed?

Even many traditional roles, such as medical technicians, machinists, construction workers, or even nurses, are harder to fill because of a lack of up-to-date skills. These are relatively common jobs in our economic landscape; they shouldn’t be too difficult to fill. However, most of these jobs call for developed, nuanced skills that can grow in lockstep with our technologically advancing economy. But it’s starting to look like many professionals aren’t keeping up with the evolving skill demands of their industries.

In addition to these more traditional jobs being difficult to fill, a slew of new roles and professions are offering untapped potential for workers with the right technical knowledge. In the tech sector, the ability to negotiate and manipulate data to extract actionable knowledge has become invaluable. Freelancer, an online outsourcing platform, claims data scientists are in high demand, along with people experienced in the eCommerce arena and the ever-increasing advent of wearable tech.

This disconnect between talent, necessary skill, and employment doesn’t hinge entirely on employees. Many employers are having trouble addressing what’s now being viewed as a serious talent shortage. These employers are failing to meet the changing needs of the economy, especially with respect to teaching new skills to new hires. Even when applicants have the required skill sets, many are looking for higher starting salaries than most talent-strapped companies are willing to offer.

According to the results of a Talent Shortage Survey from ManpowerGroup, 45% of employers globally claim that they can’t find the skills they need. This is up from 40% in 2017 and is the highest it has been in over a decade. The ones most affected by the shortage are large companies of 250 or more employees.

The Solution? 

ManpowerGroup suggests employers overhaul best practices when it comes to recruiting, like redefining qualifying criteria and conveying the image of their organizations as a destination for valued talent with a culture of learning and employee encouragement.

For both employees and employers, education is key. Prospective employees need to be more anticipatory and pay attention to the Hard Trends shaping the future of their industries while continuously augmenting their skill sets in order to remain employable. By studying the Hard Trends I’ve outlined, career-minded individuals will predict what sorts of skills they’ll need to develop and where opportunity for employment may lie.

As for employers facing a talent shortage, they need to develop new recruiting methods and be willing to provide necessary additional training to new hires. From both sides, it’s clear that the most important aspect of this talent and employment shortage is the pursuit of modernized knowledge.

What are you doing to stay ahead of the curve in your industry? How are you growing your career by being anticipatory? Just how employable are you, given the transformational changes that are yet to come?

Learn to turn disruption and change into opportunity and advantage with my latest book The Anticipatory Organization. Don’t wait, get your copy today at www.TheAOBook.com.

Categories
Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“How To Be More Powerful Through Body Language” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

 

“Power is exposed through body language. But only to the degree, you expose gestures correctly.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book!

 

“How To Be More Powerful Through Body Language”

 

As he walked into the room, his body language said, I’ve arrived – hear the trumpets roar. Everyone turned and looked at him. His gaping stride gave the appearance of him gliding around the room.

Yes, he exuded confidence. He displayed it through his bright-broad smile, shoulders held back, and head held high. And then it happened! He began to speak. Some in attendance later said, his voice was like an angelic choir singing in perfect harmony. And his body language gestures and words were in perfect alignment. Attendees erupted with an outpouring of emotions. They couldn’t contain themselves. Yes – he oozed power. Others wanted to get closer to touch his hand, his jacket, or to receive recognition from him.

So, what did he do to cast such a powerful image? Several factors added to his veneer. After observing and incorporating the following body language gestures, others will perceive you as a power source too.

 

Indecision:

Some people enter environments and appear caught in a vortex of uncertainty. They show it through their body language first without ever uttering a word.

To portray confidence, never compress your body into itself (e.g., shoulders slumped, eyes cast downward to the floor, slow pace when walking). Such gestures message others that you lack depth and self-assuredness. That demeanor would be beneficial if you wish to convey a lack of assuredness to your negotiation opponent. And that role would have to be in alignment with your strategy for the negotiation.

 

Vulnerability:

Do you know when you feel most vulnerable? It’s worth noting. Because when you sense exposure, you’ll display nonverbal behavior that shows in your body language. When you feel threatened, assess its source.

If you know you’ll enter into an environment that may cause you angst, plan the nonverbal gestures you’ll invoke to enhance your persona. Do so to emit confidence. As an example, you might consider smiling more than you usually do, be more open to being engaged and engaging in conversations, and speaking more while using hand gestures to highlight your words. Casting such an image will make you appear to possess more confidence. It will also serve as a deterrent to those who would challenge you if you seemed to be weak.

 

Body Language Gestures To Observe:

  • Smile – People that smile, at the appropriate time, display a lack of concern about their wellbeing. This gesture also suggests that the person is open and approachable. When someone flashes a smile during times of adversity, it can cause a potential threat barer to question his intent. He’ll wonder why you’re not displaying fear.

 

  • Walking Stride – People walking at a brisk pace with a wide gap indicate that they’re ‘on the move.’ They have a destination in mind. Contrast this against the individual that shuffles upon a path. The signal is, they’re not in a hurry. Use the appropriate pace for the image you want to send.

 

  • Hand Movement – Like other body language movement, hands should be synchronized with the words pronounced. But, someone’s hand motions can occur a moment or two before their words. Hand movement can also indicate the beginning of aggression (e.g., closing into fists and opening again). Thus, to show you’re not afraid, do so by displaying palms up. To add to the display, splay your fingers too.

 

  • Pace of Speech – Nervous People tend to talk too fast and too much. Thus, you can use this act to gauge how calm someone is. And, to convey more power when you speak, do so at a pace associated with what the listener perceives as someone exerting influence.

 

Whatever the environment you’re in, by controlling your body language and observing that of others, you can become better perceived as being more powerful. Therefore, once you master the techniques mentioned, the perception of your power will become heightened … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

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“Never Let Good Stop You From Being Amazing” – Negotiation Insight

“Never stop at ‘good enough.’ If you do, you’ll never know how close you are to becoming amazing!” – Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book!

“Never Let Good Stop You From Being Amazing”

He was the number one problem solver in his company. And he’d been working for days in solitude to find a solution to the latest challenge. Finally, after laboring in thoughts for hours without a break, he felt his thoughts circling. He said this is going nowhere. I’m like a dog chasing its tail. One of these thoughts will have to be good enough. I can’t do any better. With that, he stopped thinking. Good enough had prevented him from being amazing.

You can be confronted by several challenges that occur in the future when you stop at good. The biggest one is, you’ll never get better. And not getting better will prevent you from becoming amazing. Your mental state of mind will say, you’ve settled for mediocrity in the past, do it this time, too. That thought may not be an outward expression. But it will be the signal from your subconscious mind that will stop you from reaching your full potential and higher goals.

 

The following are three ways you can move past good and become amazing.

 

  1. Know your peak times.

    • Everyone has different times in the day when they’re mentally more alert. Thoughts seem to flow through them like a flowing fountain. If you know when that time occurs for you, attempt to be your most creative during those times. To enhance your thinking process, eliminate all obstacles that might intrude on what might be your state of zen. By removing distractions, you’ll ensure that you stay in that state longer. And your creativity will be extended.

 

  1. Be aware of when you’re under pressure or stress.

    • Most people don’t perform well under pressure. And the more it exists, the more likely you are to make mistakes. That can lead to stress. Then, you begin to fight a vicious cycle of tension, which leads to stress, which increases the pressure. When you experience the weight of undue burdens or anxiety, it’s time to stop. You won’t do yourself much good if you continue to burn your brain cells. All you’ll be doing is grinding your mind to a slow halt.

 

    • Don’t beat yourself up. That’ll only hamper your thinking process. Sometimes, amid frustration, you may begin to demean yourself. Don’t do it. Resist saying things like, I’m so stupid. I knew I was too dumb to do this. First, your subconscious hears what you think, even if you don’t say it out loud. And, your subconscious will attempt to create the reality that you state to be your belief. Thus, be cautious about what you say and what you think when you address a situation. If you believe you’re not good enough to conquer or complete a task, you’ll never get to the point of where amazing resides.

 

  1. Know where help is and how to use it.

    • Get the thoughts of others to assist you with your thinking. When two people consider how to solve a problem, they create different ideas than if one was doing so. Thus, when you find yourself challenged by the absence of ideas, ask others to join you. Just make sure that you extend invitations to those that will add to your thoughts and not distract from them.

 

What does this have to do with negotiations?

 

Some people negotiate as a team because they realize that there are more significant opportunities that might otherwise go unobtained. In so doing, they enhance the probability of an amazing outcome and not one that’s just good.

If you consider how you might turn a good negotiation into an amazing one before you enter into it, that singular act will put you on the road to an incredible outcome. From there, you can enhance the process. Just incorporate what I mentioned in steps 1, 2, and 3 … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

#Negotiate #Negotiator #Business #Progress #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #Success

 

 

 

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Best Practices Body Language Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“How To Avoid Danger From Being A Strong Negotiator” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“The only real danger in being a strong negotiator is not knowing when to act like you’re weak.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

 

Click here to get the book!

“How To Avoid Danger From Being A Strong Negotiator”

 

Some negotiators emit weakness when they’re negotiating. There’s danger in doing that. Other negotiators exude strength. There’s danger in that, too. A successful negotiator knows how to project power while avoiding the threat of being perceived as overbearing, stubborn, or unrelenting. They also know when to appear robust and when to appear weak.

The following are ways that you can be a strong negotiator while avoiding danger and becoming more successful in your negotiations.

 

First, be mindful of the negotiator type with whom you’re negotiating. Some negotiators will view you as an opponent or adversary, while others will see you as an advisor or friend. It’s essential to identify and know the different characteristics displayed by negotiators. That’ll determine how you’ll negotiate with them.

 

Adversary Versus Advisor: 

If a negotiator perceives you as too overbearing, he may become obstinate. When you appear weak, some negotiators will take advantage of you. So, you must know when to adopt the right persona. You can determine that by how the other negotiator sees you versus how you wish him to view you.

When dealing with someone that notes you as an adversary, his mindset is, he’s in a rigorous engagement, and there’s only one winner, him. With this type of negotiator, stand your ground. Challenge him before making concessions. Make him earn what he receives. That will enhance the respect he has for you and your abilities.

When viewed as an advisor or friend, display a demeanor of agreeability. You want this negotiator type to feel at ease with you. Create a climate whereby ideas are free to be exchanged. That will encourage that person to be more amenable to your offers, thoughts, and ideas. Also, he won’t feel threatened when you propose something that may appear to be out-of-bounds.

 

Advisory Role:

When projecting strength or weakness, know when to switch roles. Displaying the advisor role (e.g., I’d like to gather a little more information so I can best determine how I might meet your request), is an excellent way to break the frame. It’ll allow you to morph from a position of weakness to strength or vice versa. Be sure to change your demeanor when doing so. Do that by adjusting your body language to meet the new image that you project.

As an example, if you’re acting the role of a competent person and you switch to a weaker one, sit smaller in your chair. Do that by slouching, and drawing your body closer to itself as though you were afraid.

To project an image of strength, expand the space you’re occupying. Accomplish that by increasing the size of your body, and making big gestures when you speak. You can also move your objects further away. You want to occupy more space to appear more confident. That nonverbal gesture states that you feel comfortable and unafraid of anything in the environment.

You can also use inflections in your voice to cast the appropriate demeanor. Do that by placing a stronger or weaker inference on the words that are most important to you. That will add value to your persona.

 

Conclusion:

Like everything in life – the more you know about the environment you’ll be in and the people in it, the better prepared you can be for what might occur. Knowing how to move back and forth stealthfully, from a forceful negotiator image to one less dynamic, will allow you to have more influence over the negotiation. Plus, you won’t have to worry about being perceived as an ogre when you adopt a more rigorous personality. That will keep the negotiation wolves away from your door, those that would seek retribution for you being too strong against them … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“You Need to Stop Stupid Bad Decisions Now” – Negotiation Insight

“Bad decisions can lead to bad outcomes. Stupid decisions can make bad outcomes worse.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book!

“You Need to Stop Stupid Bad Decisions Now”

He had a crucial meeting at 9 a.m. the following day. It was with his company’s largest client. Many months had gone into the preparation of what would be the biggest deal the company had ever had. And everyone was counting on him to land that big deal.

So why do you think he allowed his so-called friends to talk him into going out the night before the big meeting? He knew what was at stake the next morning. They asked him to have just one drink. One drink turned into two, and two turned into nine. Finally, being inebriated, he said to his friends, I must go. I must be ready for that big meeting tomorrow. By the time he got home and went to sleep, it was 2:47 a.m. When he awoke, it was 11:09 a.m. He missed the meeting. He also lost what had up until then been a good career – because he got fired!

Has anything like that ever happened to you? Your so-called friends, instead of supporting you, distracted you from a goal. Maybe it wasn’t to the degree of what occurred in the story. In that case, the decision to go out the night before the big meeting wasn’t just a wrong decision – it was stupid! More than likely, you’ve made stupid decisions too. So why do you allow that to happen? There are several reasons. The following are some of them and how to protect yourself from falling prey.

 

Friends Versus Associates:

Be careful with whom you surround yourself. And don’t associate with people that work against your goals. Understand the value of real friends. They help protect you from harm. And they support your ambitions.

Associates, on the other hand, are people that may be close to you – but they’re usually individuals that care more about their self-interest than yours. They may not share your goals or outlook that you possess.

Here’s the catch, friends can lead you into bad decisions. If they do so once, you may consider forgiving them. If they do so frequently, move them out of the friend category. And ultimately you might consider moving them out of your life.

Whatever label you assign to those that are friends versus associates, be mindful of who you let into the friend category. Those individuals will have a more significant impact on your life.

 

Strong And Discipline:

There is a strength of mind and a mind that’s disciplined. You more than likely possess either depending on what you’re contemplating. But when confronted with decisions of significance, you need to combine those two forces.

When you know you have a lot riding on the outcome of a decision, consider the consequences of not being able to perform at your best. If that doesn’t prove to be substantial enough leverage, think what you might lose. Most people have a greater fear of loss than they do for the power of additional gain.

To ascend to higher heights, you must possess an attitude that states, no one will stop you. Then, commit to yourself to stop making stupid decisions. Once fortified by that belief, you’ll become empowered. That’s when you’ll possess the ability to achieve more consistently. That’ll also be the time when you stop making stupid bad decisions … and everything will be right with the world.

 

What does this have to do with negotiations?

 

Everyone makes bad decisions sometimes. It may be due to erroneous information, fear of not wanting to confront a situation boldly, or misperceiving the severity of it. Regardless of the reason, when you know you can avoid turning a bad mistake into a stupid one, don’t turn it into one.

In a negotiation, the more time you spend in it, the higher the chance to make bad decisions. Most negotiators want to see a bargaining session to its conclusion. That leaves them vulnerable to turning a wrong decision into a stupid one.

First, be alert to how you’re making decisions when you negotiate. If you feel pressure leading the choices you make, view that as a warning signal. It’ll be the alarm that alerts you to the possible doorway opening that leads to worse decisions.

 

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

#Decision #Negotiate #Negotiator #Business #Progress #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #Success