STEP 4

Preparing your file

You must work in details, with thoroughness of taking into consideration everything about your target, your stakes, the context and the person who will be on the other side negotiation with you.

The negotiator's skills on all points up for negotiation make all the difference.  Knowledge of all aspects is essential to a sucessful negotiation.

What's the thing you must prepare?  Remember: define the goal to be attained, fix the stakes and assess the forces in play,  Try to think in all this things and prepare a document will all the points in order to be ready for the negotiation.

You must be able to give an answer for any kind of question or proposal that may arise during the negotiation process.  Since it is your proposal, your project, your product, your concept, your ambition, your life that you are negotiating, be prepare to defend your positions.  You must be prepared to anticipate all round.

For example, if your supplier is going to claim outstanding unpaid invoices, arrange a meeting with your financial department in order to know the situation of those invoices, and organize a payments schedule to anticipate your supplier claims.  Doing this, you will be ready to ask the supplier for, your quality, delivery or cost goals.

If you are going to ask for a cost reduction, you must be ready with your arguments to get it!  For example to increase the quantities of the orders, a new reference product, more visibility of the supplier with your internal customers or the posibility to work with other companies of the group,...

During my work as buyer, one of the companies, where I have been working, asked the supplier to pay money if they want to supply to the company.  The suppliers paid this money in order to show to the competence the kind of customers they have in their business.  It means, the suppliers paid this money in order to be able to use the customer's brand in others businesses.

Spend all the time is necessary to ensure all the knowledge regarding to your goals, the goals of your opponent, the strenghts, threats, opportunities and weaknesses and you must be prepared to argue any of this points.

"Use humility to make them haughty.  Tire them by flight.  Cause division among them.  Attack when they are unprepared, make your move when they do not expect it."

SUN TZU (The art of war).

Preparation of your file represents 80% of the success in any negotiation.  You cannot afford to leave anything untouched and should be able to reply to any question that may arise.  Since it is your proposal, your product, your concept, your ambition, your life that you are negotiating, be prepared to defend your positions.

Spend all the time that is necessary to ensure your 100% knowledge of the file.  This is the key to success.

Be ready for everything!!!!

What do you think?

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