When you are negotiating a contract with your AV supplier, it is best to keep the "win-win" mentality and attitude right from the start. Both the event meeting planning company and the audio visual firm want to achieve the best deal for their respective organizations. For the planner, it is keeping their costs down and for the AV company, it is keeping their profits up. So how can we do this? Below, are six common sense, but creative ways, to work with an event audio visual rental company and make everyone come out of the negotiations with a smile on their face.
What Makes Negotiations Successful?
So, what type of business communication skills do you use to win a negotiation? The term 'winning' -used very often - is actually a wrong connotation because when you say 'win' the implied result for the other party is 'lose'. Thus there is likely to be acute resistance from the party with whom you are negotiation. The keyword for success is win-win; in other words, a middle path that makes both parties happy.
Is it possible that you will always be able to work out a win-win situation? Is it possible that you will be able to resolve conflict with this approach? Common sense says that this is not possible. So, what do you do? The answer is, you use your exceptional communication skills to project it as a win-win situation to the opposite party.
How Do You Orchestrate A Win-Win Negotiation?
There are many ways of helping the other party to see your point of view. That is the key to any growth plan. The easiest way to do this is when the other party believes that this is a win-win situation for both of you. How do you do this?
Do your homework thoroughly - you will need to come across as confident at many of the points in negotiations. Good business communication skill would entail that the other person believes you. This is possible only when you know the whole story (your side and their side) inside out. Before you set out for any type of negotiation, you need to do your homework.
Prepare for the worst case scenario - you cannot negotiate anything if you are scared of the outcome. Fear has a way of showing itself, and when you are fearful you cannot stay in charge of the situation. The dictates of stellar business communication skills demands that you never show fear, hesitation, doubt - unless these would help with the outcome of your negotiation and you are knowingly showing this doubt or fear.
You can be fearless only when you are aware and prepared for the worst case scenario. It is like you have nothing to lose as you are prepared with Plan B, Plan C and a Plan D if required. Being prepared means you also have excellent business communication skills.
