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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®



  SALES MEETING TOOL KIT: NEGOTIATING RESOLVABLE DIFFERENCES
 

Component1: Facilitator talking points

Component 2: The Negotiating Agenda

Component 3: Handout 1, Tips for Better Negotiations

Component 4: Activity 1, Emotion vs. Logic

Component 5: Activity 1, Emotion vs. Logic Idea Sheet

Component 6: Activity 2, Reading Non-Verbal Signals

Component 7: Activity 2, Reading Non-Verbal Signals Answer Sheet

Component 8: Handout 2, Avoiding an Impasse

Component 9: Activity 3, Negotiating Scenarios

Component 10: Activity 3, Negotiating Scenarios Idea Sheet

Component 11: Handout 3: Responding to Common Objections

Other Resources 		  Component 3: Handout 1, Tips for Better Negotiations
Becoming a successful negotiator takes practice, but starting off with some helpful expert tips give you a head start on the process.

· Be prepared. It works in negotiation just like in the Boy Scouts. Be sure that all the facts are available and verified before the negotiation begins. Postponements for fact finding can cause a negotiation to bog down.

· Present a united front. You represent clients and must act on their wishes. You may not agree with their position, but don’t share that with the other side during a negotiation. In private, you can try to get your clients to change their mind.

· Leave your attitude at the door. Don’t let your personal opinions of the parties or the situation cloud your judgment or endanger the transaction. Treat everyone in the negotiation with respect. If you disagree, disagree with an idea, not the person.

· Hold something back. Plan in advance what concessions your clients are willing to make and then use these concessions when the bargaining gets underway.

· Don’t sweat the small stuff. Never let a negotiation bog down over a minor point. If you can’t agree, put the point aside and come back to it later. Concentrate on getting agreement on major points such as price and terms.

· Get all the decision makers together. Nothing is more frustrating than to think you have an agreement to find that someone else must sign off on it.

· Avoid distractions. Choose a location that is pleasant, quiet, and away from confusion. Ask everyone to turn off phones and pagers and don’t accept calls until the negotiation is complete.

· Don’t share information unnecessarily. Knowledge is power in a negotiation, so telling the other side extra information may weaken your own negotiating position. Conversely, learn as much about your opponent as you can.

· Just keep quiet. Greeting an offer or concession with silence undermines the other side’s power and often props an immediate reaction.

· Leave something on the table. Remember that a successful negotiation is not the same as grinding the opponent into the ground. No one should leave a negotiation angry; you never know when you might have to negotiate with these same people again.

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