Martial Arts Business Magazine Resources for Running Your Martial Arts Business
Negotiating is a part of life. In the martial arts business world, we must also learn how to fight to have the advantage in terms of negotiating. Having the upper hand is always important, whether it’s talking to your employees about a raise or to a middle man where about merchandise, or when you are talking to parents about tuition fees and other expenses.
For today’s article, I will give you some tips on how to negotiate and get what you want.
Talk to the Right People
The first tip on how to negotiate is making sure that you are talking to the right people. Your time as a martial arts master is very important, so don’t waste your time on people who are just intermediaries to the right and important people. Rule of thumb; if you won’t get what you want from the person in front of you, don’t talk to him.
Be Prepared
List all the things that you want and do your best in listing all the things that they want. Prioritize the things that are most important to you and be prepared to sacrifice some of the smaller things. You should know what you NEED and what you WANT. Needs are deal-makers and deal-breakers. Wants are negotiable. Know every detail possible. You should know your enemy but make sure that you know yourself well before entering into a negotiation. Research yourself like how a competitor would research you. When you’re presenting your case; back it up with research, statistics, and any helpful data. Research the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent. Exploit their weaknesses and turn their strengths against them.
It’s Not Personal
Emotions can get in the way of proper negotiating. Always remember that it’s just business and not personal. Be non-emotional, it will give you a clearer perspective on things.
Take Notice of Your Compromise Point
Your compromise point is the single most important point in a negotiation. That is the line that should never be crossed. So hold it back to the best of your abilities. Negotiators may have an idea of what your compromise point is, but be careful, if you give in too soon, they may be comfortable to ask for more.
Negotiation can be exhilarating like a sparring session or it can be unpleasing like a one sided battle. The key to having an advantage is by being prepared. One more thing; let them think that they won. If they feel that way, they want to negotiate with you again. Good luck!