If you don't ask, you don't get!

You negotiate every day with yourself and with others. Your primary goal is to satisfy any conditions that will protect your best interests. Your counterpart across the negotiating table feels the same way. 

Here are some proven methods for tilting the odds in your favour regardless of the negotiation you are facing.

1.    Discover your BATNA
Your best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA), or backup plan, must be as attractive as possible. This is the path you take if your negotiations go sour. Without a healthy BATNA, you may be forced to accept an offer that doesn't support your best interests.  In practical terms, your BATNA serves as a reference point for evaluating the desirability of any agreements reached during negotiations. If the proposed agreement is better than your BATNA, it may be worth accepting. However, if the proposed agreement falls short of your BATNA, you may consider walking away from the negotiation and pursuing your alternative option instead.

2.    Give Them a Win before You Discuss Yours
Give the other side a victory early on in the process. Do your homework. See what you can agree upon to make the other negotiating party happy and give it to them. This shows you are open to looking for a win-win situation.

3.    Don't Assume Anything
Don’t assume you won’t get everything you’re asking for. The other party may be more than willing to give it to you. Of course, this may not happen, but you won’t know unless you ask for it.

4.    Negotiate the Negotiation
Before you negotiate the issue, negotiate the where, when, how, why, and who of the experience. Discussing these procedural issues shows you are well-prepared and taking the negotiation seriously.

5.    Make a Connection
Build relationships ahead of negotiations whenever possible. This can lead to more collaboration and fewer disagreements on how to reach a resolution.

6.    Ask Open-Ended Questions
Instead of asking yes or no questions, ask how someone feels and what they think about your offer. By asking open-ended questions, you better understand the other party's needs, interests, and priorities, enabling you to craft a mutually beneficial solution.

7.    Offer Inventive Incentives
Think creatively. Can you bring something to the negotiating table that will get your counterpart's attention in a positive way? Keep these incentives in your back pocket. Wait to mention them. Then pull them out like a proverbial trump card if you think they can sway the negotiations in your favour.

8.    Offer Multiple Equivalent Simultaneous Offers (MESOs)
Instead of coming to the negotiating table with one offer, have multiple offers with the same components. It gives the other party much to consider, and one may look more attractive than the other.

9.    Propose Contingency Stipulations
Before signing on the dotted line, suggest a contingency plan. Include stipulations for the project running over schedule or finishing early. Try to imagine what could happen in the future, both good and bad, and include it in the plan.