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Gaining leverage in a negotiation is one aspect that leads to winning a negotiation. The questions some negotiators ask are, how do I gain leverage in a negotiation, what’s the value of it, and how do I use it once I have it?

The following are ways to gain and use leverage in a negotiation.

• Gaining leverage is the advantage you acquire in a negotiation as the result of an act you commit and/or position the other negotiator is in as the result of such action.
• Understand what you did to obtain leverage (e.g. caught the opposing negotiator in an untruthful statement, which caused other positions of his to be called into question), when you have it, what you’ll do with it (e.g. as a strategy, cause him to defend a position that doesn’t serve him), and what you’ll do to regain it once you lose it (i.e. in a negotiation, leverage ebbs and flows based on the positional power of the negotiators).
• Consider the person with whom you’re negotiating and what stimuli will influence him (e.g. will he move from pain to pleasure, or fight you harder if you back him into a corner).
• Consider how you can impress and/or intimidate the other negotiator (i.e. in some cases opposing negotiators can share a common interest, which may serve one more than the other. The one to which more of a gain occurs is the one with more leverage).
• To gain leverage, feed the ego when such is sought and/or required (i.e. feeding vanity can be a great source of motivation for the other negotiator to grant concessions at times. The reason being, she may want to appear to be magnanimous).
• Be long term in thoughts and outcome
• Shift the perspective to fit your reality and don’t worry if others don’t buy into it. If you’re strong and persistent enough, over time you’ll benefit from not backing down because even a lie can become the truth if it’s told enough and enough people begin to believe it (i.e. when seeking leverage, a statement said with assuredness can be more believable even if it’s false than a truthful sentiment stated with doubt).
• Learn to be a good ‘spin master’ (i.e. cast your position/perspective from a point that best serves your purposes).
• Go after things you engage in with the expectation that you’re doing whatever it will take to win (i.e. when positioning your perspective to gain leverage, remember to synchronize your body language (nonverbal gestures, etc.) with your verbiage.
• Summarize people in negotiations with one word and/or in ways that position them in the way you wish them to be viewed by others (i.e. the light in which you display people to others can be the way they’re viewed. In a negotiation, to gain leverage, attempt to position the opposing negotiator in a light that’s less flattering per his position).
• Control (anger, environment, other negotiator & yourself)
• Think about where you come into a situation. That will determine your perspective of it. (In a negotiation, your perspective determines the actions you engage in. When seeking to gain leverage, consider how both you and the opposing negotiator views the perspective of why you’re negotiating and what you seek from it).

One of the most efficient ways to win more negotiations is to discover ways to gain and use leverage. Adopt the insights above and your negotiate win rate will increase… and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

Good presentation skills and public speaking begin with preparation. Like any other written or visual communication the key here is to prepare, prepare, prepare.

There are a lot of good books available. It is a good idea to join a public speaking practice group like the International Toastmasters for example. Doing it is the best way to learn.

Here are three keys to preparing your presentations and public speeches which I find have worked best for me.

1. Identify and organize what you will be presenting on a sheet of paper.

2. Break it down into 3 major headings with 3 sub-headings under each.

3. Write the content of your sub-headings then edit to fit on 3×5 or 4×6 cards as needed.

1. Identify and organize what you are presenting on a sheet of paper:

Identify your topic and give it a name, a title, ex.: Four Steps to Good Presentation Skills and public Speaking.

Identify the time frame you will have for your presentation or speech — let’s use 45 minutes for easy sub-dividing.

2. Break it down into 3 major headings with 3 sub-headings under each:

Your 45 minutes will give you 15 minutes for each of your 3 major topic headings.

So under each of the 3 major headings and 3 sub-headings write what you want to tell your audience to fit within the 15 minutes for each major headings.

For example, your three major headings will be sub-titles and will only take a few seconds to mention as you move to your sub-headings content.

Then your 3 sub-headings will have the actual content that you want to deliver to your audience. Time these to be about 4-5 minutes each (3 x 5=15 minutes).

3. Write the content of your sub-headings, then edit to fit on 3×5 or 4×6 cards as needed:

Once you have this organized, re-write them on your cards. You might have 1 card per 3 sub-headings if you only use key words that you will elaborate verbally.

Or you might need 3 cards, 1 for each sub-headings, if you write more information to guide your verbal delivery. Do what works best for you.

Personally, I usually write everything down that I will be saying, and highlight the key points I want to make sure not to miss, with a yellow highlighter; then I just glance at the overall content as I move from one sub-headings to the next. So I end up with 1 card for each of my 3 sub-headings.

Do not read from your card. Highlight the important words that will trigger your memory to speak to your audience.

Then practice your delivery beforehand as many times as you need to, timing the whole to fit within your 45 minutes (or whatever the case may be). If you are going to use transparencies or power-point, make sure to use them in your practice run also. You might need to trade a couple of minutes of your verbal content for the handling of the equipment.

When you do the real thing, simply follow your cards, moving each one to the back as you deliver your material. Don’t focus only on the cards, use the cards to keep you on track. Look at your audience, scanning through every one from left to right, front to back. Don’t stare in one area longer than in another, unless you are answering a specific person’s question.

There are many good books on presentations, with samples. A good one is Leading Workshops, Seminars, and Training Sessions; by Helen Angus, Self-Counsel Press, which includes models of room arrangements and other technical information on equipment, etc.

Often our competition can be a good source of the latest examples of what’s in at the time. Check out what the top companies are doing, and better it! For example financial institutions who give free seminars on their service offerings are a good place to get ideas on presentation skills, while getting some education on financial investment!

Give free seminars to friends, co-workers and family members to sharpen your presentation skills and public speaking. Tape yourself and listen or watch yourself back, making notes of habits you might want to omit or change, etc.

Always be prepared, you never know when you might be asked to do a presentation at work, at church or in a community group!/dmh

Everything is negotiable as long as people have the charm and persuasion to make things happen their way. In business, there is a pressure to get the most out of relationships and get the most value possible out of deals. Understanding the art of negotiation will increase the chance of a favorable outcome for the company.

Being prepared is the most important part of negotiating well. Going in without a plan and thinking it will be like the movies where characters simply wing it will only backfire. It is important to know the audience, what they want, and what questions they could ask. Understand what is driving the party the company is negotiating against where their priorities lie.

Having a response custom tailored for the audience is very helpful in negotiation. Like the previous point, figure out what type of people the company is dealing with and speak in a language the recognize. This is how to push their buttons. There are four kind of basic people to deal with when negotiating.

First is the formal, precise individual who is analytical and needs mass data before a decision can be made. Second is the purposeful, demanding person who is more competitive and intuitive. Third are the caring, relaxed, and patient people who do not rush things. Fourth are the persuasive people who are warm, expressive, and sociable.

Adapting the approach is easier when the businessman understands the different categories of people. The first person needs lots of information. The second just want a summary. The third and fourth types need stories or diagrams. The person negotiating needs to understand themselves as well so they do not butt heads with people of their own kind.

Believe it or not, listening is an important negotiation factor. Conduct an initial face-to-face meeting before going into specifics. At this meeting, ask the other party what they want out of the negotiation. The more the negotiator says, the more they will give away. This gives the other negotiating party leverage.

Confidence and being mentally prepared before initial meetings is key. 55% of how people communicate is through body language. If the negotiator feels subordinate, the other party will pick up on it and use it against them in negotiation.

Understand that everyone negotiating needs each other. Know the value of the offer and how it helps the other party. This will give enough confidence to clear the head and be in control, taking the lead in questioning.

Avoid being a salesperson. Discussion is key to negotiation as it is how parties reach a mutually agreeable outcome. Instead of saying how much the company can do for the other party, discuss what the company does and offers and ask how it can help the party. Identifying things that are low cost to the company is important to have prepared in case of a trade-off.

Do not be afraid to take a break during negotiations. This time is often needed to collect thoughts and get the negotiator’s head back in the game. This time is also used to reconsider the offers on the table. The only time this is not okay is if the negotiator is on an absolute fixed deadline.

Lastly, it is good to understand the company’s position and the negotiating party’s position as well. Know what the company can get away with (usually the opening bid), what the company expects to get based on market knowledge, and what the deal breakers are.

If the relationship with the other party continues after the negotiation, everyone needs to win. Since future meetings are sure to happen with company relationships, being rude or undercutting the other negotiating party will only lead to bad deals and feelings in future business.