Successful Negotiation: 5 Effective Techniques for Better Negotiation

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Techniques for Negotiation |Successful Negotiation: 5 Effective Techniques for Better NegotiationAs one of the most crucial components of modern business, negotiation occurs every day in a variety of forms, and the outcome of these negotiations can significantly impact your bottom line. Successful negotiations serve as the foundation for profitable interactions and allow you to cultivate valuable long-term business relationships. While every negotiation is different and features unique circumstances, there are certain techniques you can employ during any negotiation to enhance your position and increase the likelihood of reaching the best outcome for both parties.

Consider the five techniques below to discover how you can improve the negotiation skill set of your team, then contact Shapiro Negotiations to schedule training with our expert negotiators. When your employees participate in our strategic, interactive program, you can be sure they are prepared to secure the optimal results in the toughest of negotiations.

Encourage Conversation

In any kind of negotiation, your negotiating partner needs to know you value their perspective and take their priorities seriously. Encouraging conversation by asking open-ended questions allows you to gain valuable information and guide the negotiation process to a favorable conclusion. Display a commitment to reaching a win-win outcome from the very beginning of the negotiation and take time to resolve any remaining doubts so the agreement may be entered into with trust and confidence. Remain professional, polite, and friendly throughout the discussion and maintain open body language to signal your receptiveness.

Listen Actively

To enhance active listening skills, Shapiro Negotiations teaches “The 3 Cs” – connect, consider, and confirm. Connect with your negotiating partner by making eye contact and using their name frequently throughout the discussion. Consider your response carefully, pausing to reflect after the other party finishes speaking before formulating an appropriate response or counterargument. Confirm the goals for the discussion and the progress you have made in reaching them. By following this approach, you can learn what the other party feels is most important in the negotiation, as well as the limitations they face and the areas they may be willing to compromise.

Demonstrate Value

To negotiate effectively, you must retain an accurate idea of your product’s value and be capable of proving this value to your negotiating partner. Demonstrate your company’s expertise in the industry and highlight your record of proven results by sharing hard data concerning outcomes of past successful deals. Suggest potential clients explore reviews and testimonials to hear first-hand accounts of your company’s character, values, and dedication to delivering the highest quality products. If the product in question is only available from your company or in especially high demand, the value of your product is even higher, giving you more leverage in the negotiation.

Explore Alternatives

Negotiations rarely end after the first meeting, often involving extensive back-and-forth between both parties to adjust the terms of the deal until they feel they have achieved a win-win outcome. This requires thinking beyond the details of the initial proposal and exploring creative alternatives so you can reach a fair, acceptable agreement. You can discuss a variety of options, including requesting or proposing concessions, “expanding the pie” by widening your offer or providing compensation to make up for sacrifices made by the other party.

Know When to Walk Away

Recognize when the other party’s demands have become unreasonable or if the terms they suggest create an unprofitable outcome for your business and make the decision to walk away from the negotiating table. Before the negotiation begins, you should be aware of your limits and gather market data to support your assertion that an offer or price is not fair or reasonable. A potential client that does not value your offering or insists on drastic contract amendments will probably continue to be difficult to work with after the deal concludes, so sometimes the wisest course of action is to get out before the stakes become too high.

Learn More Negotiation Techniques with Our Training Program

Informed by science and strengthened by experience, the negotiation training program offered by Shapiro Negotiations has helped businesses improve their negotiating skills for more than twenty years. With training sessions customized for your business objectives, we can instruct your team on how to effectively utilize a wide range of techniques so they can conduct successful negotiations for years to come. Boasting an impressive 300% return on investment, our team has helped more than 250,000 people in all kinds of industries enhance their negotiating abilities and achieve the best possible outcomes in any future business deals.

If you would like to learn more about how we can prepare your business for a lucrative future, contact us today online, call (410) 662-4764, or email [email protected].

4 Time Management Tips for Professionals

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Tips for Professionals|4 Time Management Tips for ProfessionalsAre you the type of person who feels like they need more hours in the day? Have you heard the saying: work smarter, not harder? What can you do to ream more time out of your day?

Instead of working yourself well over your allotted time, you need to learn the value of your time and plan appropriately. Structuring your day, and often relinquishing control over your duties can help maximize your time.

You should know your limits. When there’s a leak in your bathroom, you would call a plumber, right? At work, you might expect a professional like a customs brokerage or an attorney to take care of difficult tasks so you can focus on your work. If you adhere to this order in your daily life, you can create some beneficial habits.

Plan Early

First things first: get yourself a monthly planner! A monthly planner will help you to plan out your entire week in advance. If you have never sat down and planned out your whole week, you will want to start small.

If you are a working professional, the chances are that you are using a service company scheduling software and it’s keeping you busy. You might have meetings planned, personal appointments, or critical deadlines to meet. Any plans in motion are the place where you need to start. As soon as a new plan pops up during your work, you need to immediately write them down.

Research has shown that writing something by hand solidifies the information into your memory up to 30% faster.

Plan for Work-Life Balance

You might feel like every minute of your day is planned out to the minute. In that case, you want to set some time aside at the end of the day for some rest and relaxation. Otherwise, a massive burnout is approaching.

Set aside an hour at the end of the day where you’ll do only what you want to do and not what you need to do. If that means writing down any niggling ideas you have for work the next day, this could be beneficial for your stress level. It is always better to have your stressors written out—then it is like a promise to yourself to complete and cross off the task.

Don’t Let Your Day Control You

When you are feeling overwhelmed, grab your planner. Separate your day into 10-to-30-minute chunks. Compile a list of your high priority tasks, like deadlines or meetings, and categorize them into these chunks.

It could help if you try to do some more manageable tasks first to get your mind into a workflow, but doing this won’t let those more difficult tasks fall to the back of your mind.

Learn to Be Present

With the rise of social media, we have distractions at genuinely every point of the day. If you work in a fast-paced work environment, you might continuously be inundated with work emails or phone calls. This could seriously distract you from some of your more important work tasks.

Our loss of interest and distractions are the most pressing reasons for time management struggles. It is important to ground yourself in between these high-stress moments and keep yourself on track. One great way to do this is to set a timer or an alarm to stay aware of your time and keep your mind on the present moment. You might even want to consider pausing your notifications when you’re working on more pressing tasks!

Things You Need to Consider When Buying a New or Used iPhone.

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Buying a IPhone|Things you need to consider when buying a new or used iPhone.When it’s your first time shopping for an iPhone or you want to replace your old iPhone, these are the tips you require to make the right choice. Not only will the new iPhone be your companion, but it will showcase your style until you need a new one.

The best time to buy an iPhone

Most people believe that the best time to buy an iPhone is when Apple announces a new iPhone. That’s not the case since you will pay more on the launch day compared to later prices. This is as a result of discounts offered by retailers on the phones. iPhone barely vary in price when they are rolled over to the next year as a low-cost alternative. For example, the iPhone 7 and 8 prices were reduced by $100 since the iPhone XR and XS launch. Hence, you are sure to get a good deal no matter the iPhone you choose.

When you wait for apple event day, your preferred Phone is likely to get discounted since most retailers try to clear the few units.Meanwhile, some companies offer deals where you can exchange your current iPhone with a new version. However, the sooner you buy a new iPhone, the longer it takes for your iPhone to become dated.

Find out your storage needs.

Most android phones allow you to use microSD cards to add storage; iPhone never has. Thus it would be best if you decided on the capacity that you require. The latest models come with a 64 GB space, which is enough if you won’t store dozens of movies or albums on your phone. If you require 128GB, 256GB, or 312GB, you probably know it since they are mainly used by creative professionals or those with content habits.

Buy sim free

You can shop around and do the math for the best deals. Whatever deal you’re looking at, the same provider will sell a similar SIM-only package, and purchasing your new phone from Apple and adding a monthly payment contract almost always works out cheaper. You’ll have that option, too, if you prefer to pay as you go.If you can find a refurbished old model, the difference could be even more significant. And there are several SIM-only plans on a month-long basis so that you can turn at any time. Only make sure that your tariff explicitly supports the iPhone and includes features such as tethering if required, without additional fees.

However, if you don’t have all the money, when you go to the Apple Store in person and agree to a credit check, Apple provides 20 months of interest-free credit (via Barclays). Buy your phone with cash and shop around for a SIM-only contract without a credit check if your credit score may be an issue.

Consider a refurbished phone.

iPhones are not among the refurbished items offered by Apple, but some, including the large phone stores and networks, do. Read the small print: there will be scratches, scuffs and chips in the lower grades of refurbishment, but it will be completely usable, while the highest grade typically means a handset has been returned almost untouched. You’re going to get a guarantee, and your contractual rights still apply, even though your fair standards are not going to be exactly the same as brand new ones. However, on contract, for networks overpricing refurbished phones. Google to see what refurbishments sell for elsewhere for the same model, then equate the deal to a SIM-only tariff.

Add AppleCare+

When you buy an iPhone from Apple, AppleCare+ is an optional bonus, and you can also buy it from Apple for a brand new iPhone you purchased elsewhere. For iPhone X, XS or XS Max or £ 149 for other current versions, the basic package costs £ 199 and offers a two-year warranty with tech support via chat or phone.

Suppose you are thinking about buying a used iPhone. You should check if a new version of iOS is running or that it can be upgraded to (iOS upgrades are free). Scroll down on Apple’s iOS page to find the devices that are compatible with the version currently featured (which is either out now or about to appear at the time of writing, iOS 12). Don’t buy an iPhone that can’t run this because you’re setting yourself up to discover features that are not available or compatible with other purchases you need.

Conclusion

The iPhone is a fantastic device and everyone wants one, but it’s not cheap, and it is rarely sold. Hence, if you want to buy a iPhone without paying the full price, your best choice might be to purchase a used iPhone.The purchasing of used or refurbished iPhones saves some money, however, trade-offs can come with them. If you’re considering purchasing a used iPhone, along with some suggestions on where to find a deal, here are nine items you need to review before buying.

Ways Of Helping Your Parents After They Retire

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article | Ways Of Helping Your Parents After They RetireAt one point in our lives, everyone will get older and dace their own challenges. But with many of us wondering how we can help out parents when they get older. However, with just a few simple steps, it is possible to make sure you are financially stable whilst helping your parents. In this article, we will be providing you with a few simple ways that you can successfully aid your parents in achieving a peaceful retirement.

Don’t Be Afraid To Talk About It

When you are looking to help your parents after they retire, it is important to make sure that you have an open line of communication. Though it may seem strange or even difficult to talk about the later years of their lives with them, this will help you to sort out important things such as care homes should they need it and even funeral arrangements. By having these conversations and ensuring that you are prepared and have a will in order will prove hugely beneficial as difficult as it can be this is vital to keep you happy.

Make Sure Finances Are In Order

In addition to an open line of communication, it is important to make sure that the finances are in order. Whether this is paying off all the outstanding debt that you have or taking the time to put together a savings account to pay off the mortgage a bit faster, this will all help to ensure that your family are happy when it comes time for them to eventually retire.

Consider A Care Home Or At Home Care

Though there are several elements that you need to consider, perhaps one of the most important is the care that they may need as they get older. Though we would love to believe that we can look after ourselves as we get older this is sometimes not always the case. Therefore, looking into some of the care homes Chelmsford options as well as other care homes in the UK, these should be compared to at-home care to determine which is right for you. Though this will take time to show around for, this can provide several benefits throughout retirement.

Consider The Future Of Their Condition

Though this is something that may be hard to think about it is also important for you to consider any medical conditions that they have. Whether this is arteritis or dementia or another disease that worsens over time, it is important to make sure that you have a plan in place should their conditions worsen. Though this may or may not happen, it is important to make sure that you have a -plan to make sure they are getting the care that they need should they become really ill in the future and you be unable to look after them.

With this in mind, there are several elements for you to consider when it comes to helping your parents throughout their retirement, regardless of the savings that you have at the time. Where will you begin?

3 Tips to Take Charge of Your Finances

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StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article | 3 Tips to Take Charge of Your FinancesIf you feel as though you’re not doing enough to save and plan for the future, you’re probably right that you could be doing more. It’s surprisingly common for people to let years elapse before making any life changes that will affect their financial status. In many cases, people simply aren’t able to exercise forward thinking because their expenses are continually in excess of what they earn. The cost of living continues to rise, yet wages remain fairly static. Nevertheless, even when people aren’t earning enough to pay for basic necessities, they often put money towards less important expenditures. Also, they don’t look for savings where they can or make an active effort to achieve better financial health. They simply accept that money is tight and they give up on trying to effect change.

Despite the difficulty of making changes or the realities of having to go without the things that you want, there’s a lot that you can do to take charge of your finances. You can start by viewing material about financial wellness for women that might give you an edge on saving. Small steps towards being more attentive to spending and saving will ultimately give you better control of your financial future.

1. Preserve Your Credit

Even if you’re not planning on buying a home or taking out a loan, your credit score can be a huge factor in your overall financial health. When you apply for a new higher paying job, a poor credit score may be a red flag to a hiring manager. If you want to move into a more affordable apartment, poor credit may make you an unappealing tenant. Furthermore, your credit score can subject you to higher interest rates on monthly expenses such as your credit cards or car payments. Make it a point to check your credit regularly so you can stay on top of any reporting mistakes. Pay your bills on time, and avoid letting outstanding account balances fall into collections.

2. Plan Ahead

Even when you have a lot of outstanding expenses, you still need to think about savings. Having some money put away is extremely important to your financial security. You need two different types of savings accounts. First, you need a rainy day fund that can go towards emergency expenses or help you withstand a sudden loss of income. Second, you need to save as a part of your retirement planning. Although retirement may still be many years away, your efforts to plan for it now will have a considerable impact on when you can retire and how comfortably you can live when you do. Determine what percentage of your income you can set aside each month for both accounts, and don’t deviate from your savings plan.

3. Avoid Frivolous Spending

It’s okay to get yourself some of the things that you want, but you simply can’t buy everything that you want. Put some reasonable limits on unnecessary expenditures. In particular, it’s essential that you don’t spend more for things than you really need to. Avoid paying full price for items that you can purchase at a discount by shopping around or waiting for a sale.