San Agustin Diocesan Academy Inc.

Jaen, Nueva Ecija

Senior High School Department

S.Y. 2020-2021

Module’s Lecture:

Last module, we discussed the importance of having good communication in our workplace and how to lead a
small team. Do you still remember them? Can you imagine a workplace with bad communication and broken
relationship? Would you work effectively if you are in that situation?

Here, I will show you a simple scenario. I want you to observe what kind of relationship they have.

“My lovely mother, I will study hard if you will buy me an Iphone 11maxpro. I will make sure to be an honor
student if you promise to get one for me & you do not have to worry about the dirty dishes, I will clean them
for you also “Okay, just make sure not to play games and spend time scrolling on social media too much”
the mother said.

Sounds Familiar?  What can you say about how they talk
to each other? They have a good communication and it
usually starts at home. As we live each day, we make
different proposals or negotiations more than we realize. A
skill in negotiation is what we are going to learn throughout
this module.

As a young entrepreneur, did you know this simple

negotiation skill could bring a huge advantage in your life if
developed and mastered? Do you want to improve your
negotiation skills and learn how to start from a winning
position? The scenario I showed you earlier is a simple
example of negotiation. Now, Let us try to dig deeper.

What is negotiation?

Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties intended to reach a beneficial outcome over
one or more issues where a conflict exists with respect to at least one of these issues. It is an interaction and
process between entities who compromise to agree on matters of mutual interest, while optimizing their
individual utilities.

Negotiation, is where two people try to resolve differences by proper use of communication to achieve
agreement where both of them will gain benefits or achieve their goal to make them believe on each other’s
point of view.

Here are some points to ponder to learn more about negotiation.

Firstly, negotiation is a process – a sequence of activities, perhaps with an underlying pattern. It is not a single
event – choices are made along the way. The choices of negotiators affect how agreement is achieved and
what the agreement will be.

Example: Milktea Café owner talks about salary matters to his employees.

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Secondly, we need two parties for a negotiation. Having more than two parties does not alter the fundamental
duality of the process.

Example: The employee started to discuss medical and food allowance to his boss.

Thirdly, there must be differences. If there are no differences there is no need to negotiate and because there
are differences, we can expect some conflict and competition. The need to settle their differences also helps
negotiators understand their power.

Example: During their meeting, the milktea shop owner discussed about opening another shop
in the city of Jaen and he will be increasing the salary of the employees if they will work from 8:00AM to
8:00PM. However, the employee demands increase of salary and additional medical/food allowance for them
to agree with their boss.

But how can we prepare to engage in a good negotiation and be a good negotiator?

The man on the left side is Mr. Mike, Do you agree Look at this picture
that he looks like a good businessman/ entrepreneur? What can you observe on the picture?
What are the traits of a good businessman? Do you think they are having
Mr. Mike said, a good negotiation? Why?
“My secret is to be a good in negotiation”
Do you want to be like him?

Let us now discuss how to be like Mr. Mike and learn the characteristics of a good negotiator.

Characteristics of a good negotiator:

•Open minded- having an open mind is welcoming and respecting different points of view of the people
around you.

•Charming- a trait that is unseen but felt by other people where they see so much beauty in you.

•Articulate- it is your way speaking clearly and can be easily understood by the person you are talking to.

•Experienced- a person who is trained well and shows mastery on what he is doing.

•Persevering- a person who does not easily quit despite of hardships.

•Patient- a person who is always trying to remain calm in bad situations.

•Assertive-shows correct point of view without offending and they treat them with respect

•Flexible- a person who can easily adapt to new situations and they can perform well even there is a lot of
changes that might happen.

•Insightful- having the ability to think deep and has strong discernment.

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•Understands the other side- having an idea and knowledge about the other party or the person who you are
talking to.

•Persuasive- having the ability to convince people and make them agree with you.

•Knowing what he wants- having a goal in mind and being sure and decided about it.

These are some of the ideal traits we must master that can make us a good negotiator. But there are still many
things to consider according to experts. Let’s learn more about them.

What the experts say:

•Preparation and Planning skill- as a negotiator, you must prepare and be ready. Always research and plan
ahead of time. Consider the traits we talked about earlier and try to apply them.

•Knowledge of the subject matter being negotiated- In order to be successful in negotiation, always study
the background of the subject/situation. We should always be knowledgeable about the topic.

•Ability to think clearly and rapidly under pressure and uncertainty- just like the traits we talked about
earlier, you must have a strong mind and focus because negotiation is a mental battle where you must not be
distracted.

•Ability to express thoughts verbally- this is where you show that you are articulate and able to talk in a way
they can easily understand you.

•Listening skill- Listen before you speak, try to process carefully and focus.

•Healthy Judgment- having the ability to be logical and make better decisions.

•Integrity- showing that you have a good moral and you are an honest person.

•Ability to persuade others- Through conversation, you can make other people believe in what you are
saying.

•Decisiveness- you are sure and decided in a certain situation.

•Considers lots of options- showing you are flexible and able to welcome different ideas.

•Aware of the process and style of the other person- you have the ability to read people well and you know
a lot about them more than what they are showing you.

•Thinks and talks about possible areas of agreement- effectively and positively communicate both your
common ground and where you could both win.

These traits are not just for Mr. Mike but also for you! Would you take the challenge to be just like him and
practice these traits through our performance activity at the end of this module? I am excited to see your
progress!

Have you experience negotiating with somebody over prices or services? Were you able to get what you
want? What are the things you asked for?

Try to observe these scenario:

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 A young lady who’s turning 18 years old
on December wanted to have a grand birthday party
for her friends and family to enjoy.
So, her mother hired an event planner to help her plan
the event with her daughter.
But the event planner was not communicating properly
with the celebrant and
tries to ignore her requests and ideas.
A Sales agent talked to a young man
about the cellular phone he is selling,
He explained the specialty and benefits
the young man can enjoy if he will purchase
the product he is selling.

Among the scenarios given, between the events planner and sales agent. Who shown ideal traits of being a
good negotiator? How do you say so? As we assess both, The sales agent shown how an ideal negotiator
should behave.
Lastly, one factor that makes a negotiator seems like a professional is through his questioning ability.

Let us try to dig deeper:

USING SKILLFUL QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES

Negotiation is bargaining. In order to be good with it, you have to be equipped not just with information but
the ability to throw questions that will not just give you answer but to handle situations to be on your favor.
Have you watched a movie about a lawyer before? What are the usual tasks of a lawyer? do you have an idea?
As lawyers, they use questioning techniques to win in cases trials. Based on the movies about a lawyer, Have
you observed how they throw questions to people inside the court? It is not negotiation but interrogation.
However, we need skillful questioning techniques with interrogation and negotiation.

To develop a successful negotiation strategy, you have to know your counterpart’s needs and goals. Skillful
questioning will help you gain this information.

WHEN TO ASK QUESTIONS?

When is the helpful to ask questions during negotiation? You should ask questions to:

•GAIN INFORMATION. Don’t assume anything when you are negotiating. When you don’t have all the
information, ask questions to fill in the gaps.

•CHECK UNDERSTANDING AND INTEREST LEVEL. Ask a question to uncover how technically
sound your counterpart is on the topic you are negotiating, or how committed she is to the outcome of the
negotiation. For example, ask whether she will take a specified amount less than the asking price.

•DETERMINE BEHAVIOR STYLE. Ask questions to find out where the other party is coming from, if he
is an experienced negotiator, and whether he is an honest and/or decisive person.

•GAIN PARTICIPATION. When you ask questions, you encourage the other party to talk. This makes your
counterpart like you better-and helps you learn more about her than she learns about you.

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•GIVE INFORMATION. Sometimes you may want to provide information that will help your counterpart
understand your goals. For example, you could ask, “Did you know that you can enjoy your stay in our hotel
for only 2,000 pesos for two nights if you will book with us on your birth day?” (This type of question can
also be used as a test to see whether your counterpart recognizes if your information is correct)

•GET AN OPINION. Questions that ask for someone’s opinion not only provide knowledge, but also
indicate that you are interested in what the person has to say. For example, ask, “Can you tell me why you like
living in this neighborhood?”

•BRING ATTENTION BACK TO THE SUBJECT. Appropriate questions can keep the conversation
heading toward your goal. Salespeople often ask personal questions about a prospect to find a starting point
for their presentation. This is fine, but eventually you need to discuss the real reasons for meeting. Asking
questions like, “Can we get back to the salary issue and benefits package once again?” refocuses attention on
the important issues.

•REACH AGREEMENT. Asking questions can help you find out how far apart your goals are from your
counterpart’s. For example, suppose a seller is asking 150,000 thousand pesos for his house. You ask whether
he is willing to take 140,000 thousand pesos, since the house needs landscaping and a new roof.

•REDUCE TENSION. If negotiations start to become tense, it can be helpful to ask questions about your
counterpart’s viewpoint. Understanding his concern may help you restructure the negotiation. For example,
you might say, “Every time we talk about mandatory drug testing for all employees, you seem to be
adamantly opposed. Can you share a little about why you are opposed to this testing?”

•GIVE POSITIVE STROKES. Simply put, positive strokes questions make your counterpart feel important.
Suppose your counterpart has received three phone calls from complaining customers during your fifteen-
minute meeting. You might ask, “Are you having a tough day?”

By considering these points, it will help you become a better communicator and most importantly, a good
negotiator. Using skillful questioning techniques will greatly influence on how you negotiate with people.
And there are two types to remember. What are they? How do we properly ask questions?

TWO MAIN TYPES OF QUESTIONS:

In life, there are two ways on how a person responds to a question. the first person, answers briefly and the
other one is a big talker who explains everything whenever he speaks. Same in questions, we have to types of
questions and these are closed-ended, or open-ended.

1. CLOSE-ENDED AND RESTRICTIVE. Questions that can be answered very briefly, often with a simple
yes or no. We can obtain specific bit of information, directing a conversation to a desired area or gaining
commitment to a definite position. Typical examples are: “Do you want to work on Saturday or Sunday?”

2. OPEN-ENDED AND EXPANSIVE. Questions that reveal much more about your counterpart’s
objectives, needs, current situation and behavioral style that restrictive questions do. Typical examples are:
“How do you feel about moving out from home before Christmas?” “You seem to be upset with my offer.
Which aspect seem to be the biggest problems?”

To be successful negotiator, you have to know the wants, needs and motivations of the other party. The
easiest, quickest way to uncover this information is through skillful questioning. With practice, you will find
yourself asking better questions and gaining increasingly valuable information.

Brain Teaser: Respect is one of the most impactful tools you can wield in a negotiation. That’s true whether
it’s a life-or-death situation or a salary discussion with your boss. If you show respect when you negotiate,
you will receive respect in return & as long as your approach is to genuinely understand, to genuinely hear
them out, and to make them feel respected and understood.

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Illustrations and Examples:

Understanding the reasons for negotiation will improve our negotiation skills. Just like what we discussed
earlier, we should learn some of the good traits. Being Articulate is probably the most essential one.

Here’s a diagram for you to be more

familiarized on how to handle
negotiations well.

There are a number of reasons for

negotiations:

•Costs -to reduce the cost of

acquisition by achieving a lower price.

•Value – to achieve added value such

as reduced lead or cycle times.

•Performance – to improve
performance through KPIs’ and SLA’s

•Conflict – to resolve conflict through

reaching understanding.

•Problem – to solve a problem by

open discussion.

•Quality – to achieve optimum quality

through reducing defects.

•Agreement – to reach mutual

agreement in a collaborative style
where all parties are satisfied.

Negotiation is used with the intension of all parties reaching an agreement. The ideal outcome is win-win but
this is not always achievable. Negotiation can involve a number of ploys and tactics but regardless of the
approach taken, preparation is key.

Learning Exercise: Congratulations! You are already done with the concepts that you need to learn and
understand for this week. Now, let’s try to put into practice the things that you have learned. Accomplish the
following activities and see how well you can apply your learnings.