Steven Soares

Listening in negotiations is a critical technique that allows for many benefits, such as learning about the other party and avoiding stalled negotiations. I have always tried to be a good listener in all types’ of conversations, but especially in business meetings.  Acknowledging you are listening provides active signals that keep the conversation moving in a substantive direction.

Through listening, I gain an appreciation for the other party’s motives. Also, by asking good questions will allow you to listen and gain knowledge on their motives. The parties position themselves to listen and gain as much information as possible before laying out the ground work for a deal. I learned to ask manageable questions that provide openness and planning to the conversation. As you move through the process, ask slightly tougher questions, yet still keeping them constructive.

Listening is an important technique to a successful negotiation. If you are a good listener, one that can absorb what the other party is saying and acknowledge them with good follow up questions or statements, you keep the conversation going in a positive and constructive fashion. I believe this is one of the most important lessons you could learn because you can always improve on your listening skills and try to develop it as a technique to draw information and even build bridges to the other party through acknowledging their statements.

Through active listening, you can build relationships through understanding the other party, and trying to build a deal that would make sense for all parties involved. Use this technique in future negotiations.