Negotiation

Questions to Ask Before a Negotiation

John Bradley "JJ" Jackson

30 Jul 2008 • 1 min read

Good negotiators are prepared. It first begins with knowing what you want. Additionally, good negotiators anticipate the wants and needs of the other party.

You need to ask yourself a few basic questions:

What do you wish for?
What do you deserve?
What must you have?
When might you walk away from the negotiation?

Next, you need to anticipate the wants and needs of the other party:

What do they wish for?
What do they deserve?
What must they have?
When might they walk away from the negotiation?

These questions help you define your objectives in the negotiation. Answering these questions will help you understand the other party’s objections.

You might want to consider the help of a third party to help you assess your knowledge of the other party’s wants and desires. We all have blind spots which can cause us to not see and hear properly. You will want to choose someone whom you respect for their insight and objectivity. I have found that most third parties will identify issues that you have overlooked.

Only after you know these answers can you negotiate well.