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All of us are born different and not everyone is cut out to be a negotiator. However, we have already learned how to get what we wanted when we are toddlers. If you have not noticed that till now, we are actually negotiating in some ways with our parents. It can be by crying, bugging, begging or any other childish ways imaginable. When you grow up over the years, the stakes get bigger. You need to redefine the “I want what I want when I want it” method as “the winner takes it all” theory will cease to work on adults. As human beings, we have the need to want be heard. Know these 5 essential tips to be become successful in negotiation:

Tip #1 – Do your due diligence.

In every negotiation, you need to know beforehand as much as possible on the information you can get your hands on the other party. This due diligence is compulsory in order to understand the other party’s needs, wants and bottom line.

Tip #2 – Engage in active communication.

Engage the party and find out as much as possible on what you do not know in addition to the information that you already knew. Asking open-ended questions will get the other party talking. This is how you can gather information and also confirming on what you knew. Besides, rapport and trust are established during the conversation in the initial meeting.

Tip #3 – Assess the accuracy of the information.

Assess what you know and what you don’t. Communicate with words that pose as question openings like “if…, how about…” and listen to what they have to say. Answer questions with questions like how? When? Where? Why?.

Listen, take down notes and read the other party’s body language. Is that person telling you something indirectly that is not consistent with what you have heard from him or her? These are the essential skills of a skilled negotiator. Those who master what others are thinking by listening to them most of the time normally end up leaving the negotiation table with wide smiles on their faces.

Tip #4 – Strive for Win-Win.

You are now ready to negotiate the deal after collating and assessing what you need to know. Present the offer to the party and learn to utilise your gut feeling to “feel” what the other person feeling. Is the party comfortable with your proposition or irritated by what you have said? Always try to strive for the balance where no one loses out. If you do that, both parties will be happy. However, if you think only for your advantage, chances are you would have lost the deal, or if you give in, you lose while the other party wins.

Tip #5 – Document the agreement in writing.

Always remember that nothing is finalized until it is put in writing. Immediately after the discussion, the meeting minutes or summaries, the contracts need to be distributed to all the involved parties. This is the foundation that is required to be laid to complete the entire negotiation process and also to prepare for future meeting for other deals. If you have managed to close the deal with a win-win, you can be sure that it is a deal well negotiated.

The way that you end your speech will resonate with your audience long after your presentation has ended. By using advanced presentation skills when you close your speech, you can deliver a speech conclusion that will set you apart as an expert orator. Here are some quick tips to ensure that you hit them with a grand finale!

1. Don’t Quit; Close

Your entire speech is a journey that you are undertaking with your audience. Don’t leave them disappointed that you quit right before the culmination. Work the group to a conclusion that you come to together. If you have delivered your speech effectively, you should know exactly what they are thinking in that moment. Now you can engage them one last time by asking them for a response that will cause them to self-reflect and take action.

Some good endings to consider:

“Now that you know the problem, can we count on you to help with the solution?”

“How will your contributions help us get to our goal?”

“I ask you, are you up for the challenge?”

2. Preparation Is Key

Think of your speech like a Broadway performance. The actors don’t just step on stage opening night without any practice, do they? They have long rehearsals daily, they know every step they will make on stage, and they memorize the script inside and out. By the time performance night comes, they could run on autopilot. The same applies to your speech closing. You should know every nuance of your closing, including how much time it will take to deliver it with the biggest impact. Practice your closing until you can do it in your sleep.

3. Expect The Unexpected

Not everything goes according to plan, which is why you should be able to conclude from anywhere in your speech. Nothing is worse than getting the “5 minutes” signal and realizing that you still have 15 minutes left in your speech. Developing a transition from any segment of your talk to your wrap-up can save you from fumbling and trying to decide which information to include and leave out. Practice your transitions from any part of the speech so it flows smoothly.

4. Add A Final Touch

One of the advanced presentation skills that will set you apart could be including a succinct quote that summarizes your viewpoint, or even a piece of poetry to leave them in the mood you established. While touches like these aren’t vital, they add class and impact.

Every day, so many tens of thousands of innocent clients and employees are bored to tears by presentations that it ought to be considered a crime against humanity.

Are your presentations guilty of the following sins?

1. Illegibility. Know the size of the room, screen and audience before you create a presentation. The person at the back of the crowd should easily be able to read your slides. If he or she can’t, they’re going to tune out. Pick a clearly readable font that’s large enough for the potential decision maker at the back of the room to read. And make sure to keep your slide backgrounds simple and clean.
2. Information Overload. Presentations are supposed to support what you’re saying, not tell the whole story. Otherwise, why should people listen to you? Use the outline of your presentation to pick and choose the main points on the screen. If you are going over a complex document, give your audience a handout to which they can refer.
3. Bullet Point Abuse. Slide after slide of bulleted text will have your audience sliding into REM. Break up the text with an image, video, chart or other illustration that is relevant and that will crystallize your main point.
4. Lost in the Wilderness. In longer presentations, take the time to put information into context. As you complete each section, flash back to the bigger picture for a moment so the audience knows how all the information fits together. This will also keep your presentation on track because if you can’t fit a section into the bigger picture, it doesn’t belong there.
5. Selfishness. In sales presentations, it’s easy to slide into the trap of telling talking about your product or service, instead of what it will do for your customer’s lives. Internal presentations, be they about sales activities or manufacturing output, should also take their audience’s concerns into consideration. In presenting to your boss, keep the goals he’s set for you and the bigger picture in mind. In presenting to staffers, reinforce the positive reasons why they should be paying attention.
6. Poor Branding. Using a template, especially one that is at odds with your corporate branding, will make it hard for people to recall who presented what, especially if you’re competing for attention. Make sure the design, layout, colours and font used in your presentation could only have come from your company.
7. Copyright Violation. Sure it’s tempting to grab a graphic from a Google Image Search, scan a Dilbert cartoon or use a track from your favourite music CD to spice up your presentation, but guess what? It’s illegal. Even if you’re only putting together an internal presentation: if you didn’t commission the material you wish to use or get it from a royalty free source that allows business use – it’s against the law to include it. You might not get a knock on your door from Sony music or Scott Adams (the guy that writes Dilbert), but if your boss or client is sensitive about protecting intellectual property and is reasonably savvy, you could (at best) end up embarrassing yourself and at worst lose a major account.