How Stress Can Affect A Negotiation

Forcing someone to make a decision and forcing them to choose what we want are negotiation strategies that are widely used in business. The goal is to confuse the other person. By diverting attention from the important elements, we can get them to do what we want. However, we do not always have the opportunity to lead the whole process. Sometimes we have to start a negotiation.

A negotiation process requires more than just knowing how to communicate and explain things with skill. Stress management is also necessary, especially if we have to make decisions and appointments in a hurry. If time runs out and we have to give an immediate answer, our stress levels may increase.

Stress during a negotiation

As we have seen, stress can arise when we negotiate something, especially if we feel pressured. But sometimes stress can be positive. The key is how we handle it.

Many underlying causes can make us feel overwhelmed when we negotiate. A bad negotiation can happen due to a misunderstanding with our boss or colleagues. A project that was not delivered on time and made the company look bad or an excessive workload can also cause stress.

So when stress invades us, the first thing we feel is an overwhelming feeling. Ideas pile up in our heads and prevent us from thinking clearly. Instead of doing it in a proper and calm way, chaos takes over. Therefore, if we are stressed and have to negotiate at the same time, we are more likely to get confused and this can affect our decisions.

Sometimes stress can make us try to escape. We are starting to feel more pressure, so much so that we want to get out of the situation. It can even make us feel insecure and as if we did not know how to act or how to face the conflict that may arise. We may also be ruthless with the other person or not express our opinions.

How to reduce stress in negotiations?

If we give in to the stress, there will be bad consequences.  Learning to deal with stress in order to succeed and not let ourselves be carried away by pressure is important. To do this, it is important that we take into account the following steps:

• Be well prepared to negotiate: Disproving opinions in a responsible manner is difficult if we are not well informed. We must have enough knowledge about the topic we are negotiating on. Knowing the opinion of other colleagues before we negotiate can also help us know what to expect during the negotiation.

• Practice active listening: This is an important aspect of any negotiation. You need to listen to the other person before you speak. What do they think? What point do they want? It is better not to rush when it comes to talking and listening carefully beforehand.
• Use Emotional Intelligence: If you begin to feel stressed during a negotiation, you may want to raise your voice and not listen to the other person. Therefore, it is important to breathe, calm down and control your emotions. Identifying both your own and the other person’s feelings is important during a negotiation.
• Restart negotiations: If the negotiation has gone away from the main goal, you can start again. To do that, you can go back to the beginning or just start again another day when you feel better and have enough information to make it successful.

• Take time: Knowing when to postpone or resume a negotiation is important. Hurrying does not help you at all.

Preparation is the key

Stress can set us in motion to achieve our goals. But if it comes from constant pressure, stress can affect you and not let you shine.

But if you know how to conduct the negotiation, how to prepare for it, how to deal with possible conflicts and how to deal with the resulting stress, everything will be much easier.