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When I'm asked about business to business negotiations, two steps come to mind on how to make negotiations successful. The first step is to have a win/win mindset, where you give your best effort to make sure you and your negotiator are both getting a good deal. The second step is to build a solid relationship and trust with the people you are negotiating with. By doing these I believe you can improve your business to business negotiations.

When it comes to negotiations thinking win/win will make you much more successful with the people your negotiating with. The first step to thinking win/win is to have a genuine and sincere interest in the person(s) you're negotiating with. In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey talks about thinking win/win as his fourth habit saying, "If both people aren't winning, both are losing" (Pg. 209; Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey). When you want to get a good deal, and you want the other person to get a good deal, it's amazing how persuasive you become because all of a sudden you're wanting what is the best for both of you. When the people you're negotiating with know that you're not trying to take advantage of them, they're going to open up to you a lot more and give you a better deal. Tell them you want to create an agreement that both sides will be happy with.

After letting them know you want to create a deal that's beneficial for both sides, you now have the opportunity to deepen your relationship with them. Take this opportunity to get to know them as a person, not just someone who you do business with. Find something to do where you can get to know them outside of the business and work environment such as playing golf, going to lunch, or take them to a fundraising event for a charity. This will help to build trust and transform your negotiators from a business relationship, to a friendship, and that same friendship will carry right over into your day to day negotiations.

Follow these two steps of business to business negotiations, and you will find them to be very beneficial.

Learn more about this author, Christopher Scott.
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