Negotiation is vital in exchanging value. In essence, you give others what they want, and in return you get what you want. For students, this give-and-take can prove crucial in class, in your social life, and when starting your career.
The problem is, negotiation doesn’t come naturally to most students. Very few schools and colleges offer undergraduate modules or courses on negotiation skills training. So, without formal teaching on the subject, how can students work to improve their negotiation techniques?
Take Part in Debates
Signing up for debate club is one way to practice your negotiation skills in school. Debates offer students a focused way of training on how to present arguments to support their views. In life and in their careers, many adult negotiators fail before they start simply because they don’t know how to effectively argue their case.
Debates emphasize the importance of cooperation and open-mindedness, which are fundamental tenets of effective negotiation. Debates foster innovation while also breeding inclusiveness. Students learn how to compromise, connect ideas, and reach mutually satisfying agreements, which are crucial skills in preparing for life after graduation.
Join Interactive Clubs
While the library is an excellent place to learn a new skill, negotiation needs more practice than theory. Student clubs are great for improving many social skills. As students mix in new environments, they usually have to employ their negotiation skills to manage new social situations and club-related issues.
For instance, new initiates may want to bring in new rules or do away with old ones. The club may have to balance different interests from different students. Negotiations can serve to settle disputes and reconcile members who disagree.
Interactive clubs are fun as well as educational, meaning lessons learned tend to stick more easily than traditional classroom-based training.
Your school or college likely has several interactive clubs you can join. Some of the best career negotiators were members of school clubs such as:
- Sororities and fraternities.
- Clubs on an academic major; for example, the economics club.
- A community service club.
- Club sports teams, including those for nonathletic people.
- Special interest clubs such as student communities for minorities.
- Religious clubs.
- Event organization clubs such as a prom committee.
Practice Presentation Skills
Top negotiators often use presentations to effectively argue their case. If you want to be a great negotiator, it pays to polish your presentation and speech-giving skills as part of learning how to persuade audiences.
How well you present your ideas can impact whether you sway the other side in negotiations and rally your team to a common cause. Cover areas such as the structure of your presentation, your tone of voice, and your body language.
When structuring your presentation, train yourself to always think of the purpose. In negotiations, you need to ask yourself why your audience needs to hear what you have to say. What are the main points you want to put across?
Open your presentation with a hook to engage and focus your audience. For instance, a rhetorical question gets the audience involved and thinking from the off, and the use of a metaphor stimulates the imagination and makes your presentation more memorable. The hook sets the pace for negotiations, so choose one wisely. Close the presentation with a strong final impression.
Study Body Language
Professor Albert Mehrabian’s studies suggest that when there’s a mismatch or incongruity, spoken words communicate only about 7% of meaning. Body language conveys 55%, while the tone of voice is 38%.
Training yourself to read people’s nonverbal cues is an important skill. Body language often reveals what a person is really thinking, even when their words say something different. To improve your negotiations, work on teaching yourself to read these eight common body language cues:
Eye Behavior
For example, the inability to make direct eye contact as well as staring people can both signal deceit.
Facial Expressions
Interest and happiness may shine through a genuine smile. You can sense uncertainty or sarcasm in a half-smile. A fake smile may suggest displeasure or dissatisfaction. Look for smiles that reach the eyes.
Proximity
Someone standing or sitting close to you may be viewing you favorably. Someone backing off and facing partially away from you may be a sign that the feeling of connection isn’t mutual.
Mirroring
If someone mirrors the other person’s body language, it may be a signal of deep engagement. Mirroring is a subconscious effort to establish rapport.
Head Movements
Titling the head sideways may signal interest, while a back tilt may convey uncertainty. Quick nods may show impatience, while a slow nod may indicate wanting to hear more.
Feet Positioning
People generally point their feet in the direction they want to go. If someone is talking to you but their feet point towards the door, the person may be eager to leave the discussion.
Hand Gestures
Hidden hands, such as hands in pockets, may be a sign of deceit or nervousness. Like feet, hands may also point to where the person would like to go.
Arm Positioning
The crossing of arms may signal internal reflection. Though, crossing arms with a big genuine smile can be a sign of composure and confidence.
Round-Up
As a student, take advantage of opportunities in and out of class to polish your negotiation techniques. School clubs and extra academic activities can work to practice your negotiations and teach you new techniques.
