When it comes to how you want to spend your next negotiation, there are almost limitless number of ways to go about doing it. Some of them are above board, and some of them are really a secret. I'm going to suggest that if you want to walk away from the negotiating table with a deal that both parties will feel good, then you will have to take the high ground ...
What is a "hill" and Why You Should Care
How to get to the outcome of the negotiations that you want, you must be in the driver's seat - you should be controlling the direction of the negotiations. The challenge here is that the other side of the table will be trying to do the same thing at the same time.
During the negotiation process, and will plan and you'll ask other parties to make concessions for you. As you might well expect, they are unlikely to be all that interested in making these concessions to you. Your negotiating skills will have to come into play as you try to convince them to adopt your opinion and make concessions.
This process can be easy or difficult. You can do a lot easier on yourself if you decide at the beginning of the negotiating sessions that elevation. This is one of the negotiating techniques that we talk about it. Rather it is more part of the overall philosophy of principled negotiation.
Taking the high ground in negotiations means that instead of trying to bully or verbally to overcome the other side of the table, instead rely on hard evidence in the form and logic and facts. It's not all about you, not the reason that the other party to adopt his position, because compelling evidence indicates that this is indeed the correct way to go.
How to reach high places
Realizing that high ground is the correct way to during negotiations, and then actually taking it are two completely different things. Any negotiations definition says that you have a dispute with other parties during the negotiations, and live on a hill can be a difficult thing to do.
There are many styles to choose from negotiations when you're at the beginning of the next negotiation, but the following four components must always be included in what we do in order to allow you to keep the high ground:
They have a solid direction: Do you know where you are going. Having a strong sense of where you want the negotiations to bring up is the key to allowing you to keep the high ground.
Once you have history on your side: Do your homework before negotiations and be able to point out that the position just a continuation of what has been agreed to by the other party in the past.
Love that logic: the nice thing about logic is that people really can not argue with him. Take time to think out their positions, and then present them in a logical way to the other side.
Use Standards: If someone else has an established standard, then make sure that your proposal supports this standard and make sure that you on the other side of this.
What all this means for you
Negotiation can be a tough job. As you enter the negotiations need to decide how you want to come to an end. There are many different ways to get there, some are above board and not a whole bunch.
Experienced negotiators know that sticking to the high ground is the best way to conduct negotiations. Using a solid backup material that consists of factual evidence, a well though out the logic allows you to convince the other side of the table that you really need to reach an agreement with them.
Negotiators may be tempted to forego the high ground if they are in a rush - they just need to get the job done quickly. However, it has been proven from time to time if you do not take the high ground in negotiations, to negotiate a deal will be one that both parties want to live.
