Best Ways to Become a Good Negotiator to Get What You Want According to Science

In psychology, the art of negotiation has been well studied which can be useful to any person. Often, negotiation often comes out as between the winner and the loser, but it does not have to be that complicated, according to Josh Spector of Medium.

A good negotiator somehow always secure a pay rise they want or the house or job they have been eyeing for years. There has been no end of studies in psychology that explores which attitudes, behaviors, and settings will help a person make the negotiation go their way.

Here are some of the key findings that Emma Young of Reader's Digest has compiled that will help people become a good negotiator.

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Psychology Reveals The Best Ways to Become A Good Negotiator to Get What You Want

Preparing For a Negotiation

Studies have shown that people who hold lower power tend to do worse in negotiation compared to high power people. A study on MBA students revealed that it would help if the person would engage in self-affirmation before walking into that interview or negotiating over a house or car.

On the other hand, a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in 2019 reported that financially vulnerable people usually hold the win-lose mindset. That means they are less likely to capitalize on any opportunities for both sides and continue to make poor choices. The researchers said that being aware of this mentality might help it from happening.

Choose the Right Setting For a Negotiation

A study published in Psychological Science in 2019 suggests that there is an advantage of doing work-related negotiation in a restaurant that serves a shared platter. This technique is called the "shared plates, shared minds."

The study described participants who shared a single bowl of chips and salsa went on to have a good negotiation to resolve a theoretical dispute. Study co-author Ayelet Fishbach of the University of Chicago said that eating alone is a missed opportunity to connect to others, while every shared meal fully utilizes the opportunity to connect with other people.

The researchers also said that adding a small alcoholic drink to the meal could also be helpful because it can make them drop their guard for each other's actions, which leads to reaching an agreement.

ALSO READ: Men Are More Likely To Have 'All Or Nothing' Behavior Than Women

Use Anger Appropriately

Some say that anger will not help in negotiation, while others say it can. Sometimes using anger could be depending on the culture of a person. A 2010 study said that anger could help in negotiation with someone who has a European background, but for people with an East Asian background it is seen as inappropriate behavior.

On the other hand, a 2017 study suggests that negotiation could also depend on what you expect it to be. Those who believe using anger can help them get what they want sometimes end up succeeding. While those who do not believe in this method, whether they are angry or not, does not lead to being more successful in negotiating.

Face-to-Face Negotiation

Face-to-face negotiation does not apply to everyone. A study on 200 Canadians reveals that people who scored high on the Dark Triad are most likely to succeed doing face-to-face negotiations. Dark Triad is composed of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism.

That means if you think your boss has a tendency to score high on the Dark Triad, asking for a pay raise might be better done via email rather than face-to-face.