Negotiation isn't easy for everyone, but 99U points out that people tend to approach a negotiation in one of two ways: as an opportunity to gain something, or an opportunity to lose something. When you focus on the potential gains, you're a more successful negotiator.


If you're the type to haggle over everything, this probably sounds like common sense, but that's not the case for everyone. 99U points out that a lot of people fall into one of two categories when they're negotiating: promotion-focused or prevention-focused. This changes how you tend to view a negotiation:

When it comes to negotiating, having a promotion focus will give you the clear upper-hand. The promotion-focused (like my husband) see negotiation as an opportunity to gain something, and studies show that this helps them to stay focused on their (ideal) price or pay targets. The prevention-minded (like myself) see negotiation as an opportunity to lose something—they worry too much about a negotiation failure or impasse, leaving them more susceptible to less advantageous agreements.

If you fall into the prevention-focused group, it's good to think about the potential gains of a negotiation instead of the losses:


Now, when I enter any negotiation, I make a deliberate effort to refocus myself beforehand. I stop and reflect on what I have to gain by getting a great deal, or by fighting for better compensation—the opportunities for happiness and growth they will afford me.

It's a simple little tip that can work wonders for people who don't like negotiation but have to do it anyway.

The 2 Epiphanies That Made Me a Better Negotiator | 99U



Photo by Eric Chan.