10 Tips for Effective Negotiations
Negotiations are an essential part of business and everyday life. Here are ten science-backed tips to help you communicate more effectively and achieve better results in any negotiation.
1. Sit Up Straight
Good posture not only affects how others perceive you, but also how you feel about yourself. A study from Ohio State University found that sitting up straight creates a positive impression on those around you. More importantly, it boosts your own confidence. Social experiments have shown that employees who sat with straight backs felt more confident in their professional abilities than their slouching colleagues.
2. Choose Cold Drinks for Important Conversations
It may sound odd, but the temperature of the drink you hold can influence how you perceive your conversation partner. Yale University researchers discovered that people holding a warm drink were more likely to view a stranger as trustworthy, which can lead to more generous and lenient actions—sometimes a disadvantage in business meetings. For serious negotiations, it’s recommended to hold cold water or iced coffee. Conversely, if you want to win someone over, offer them a hot drink during your conversation (but not alcohol!).
3. Engage Your Left Brain
Both experienced and novice athletes often make the mistake of focusing too much on their movements before a performance, relying on the right hemisphere of the brain, instead of trusting their automatic motor skills, which are linked to the left hemisphere. A study from the Technical University of Munich showed that right-handed athletes who squeezed a ball with their left hand before an attempt performed better and were less likely to choke under pressure.
4. Relax Your Face When Reading Emails
Research from the University of California found that people who read emails with furrowed brows interpreted the content more negatively. To stay objective, sit comfortably at a good distance from your monitor and relax your facial muscles before reading important emails.
5. Nod in Sync
You may have heard that mirroring your conversation partner’s movements improves communication. Stanford University researchers took this further, showing that synchronized movements among team members during brainstorming sessions led to more creative solutions. Even simple synchronized nodding can enhance cooperation and help generate breakthrough ideas. Now you know the hidden meaning behind those wild dances at office parties!
6. Shake Hands Before the Meeting
The classic handshake sets the tone for warm cooperation. Harvard Business School found that people who shook hands before negotiations ended up making fairer deals than those who jumped straight into business. Additionally, after a handshake, both parties were less likely to deceive each other.
7. People with Deeper Voices Earn More
Duke University researchers studied the salaries of 800 American company executives and found a fascinating pattern: lowering voice pitch by 22 Hz increased annual salary by $187,000. People with deeper voices are generally perceived as more authoritative—and often become so. Just think of Darth Vader’s 85 Hz voice, which made many kids’ knees shake. The takeaway: find out how your voice sounds to others and try to lower it if needed.
8. Get in the Right Mindset Ahead of Time
If you’ve ever acted in a play, you know you need to step on stage already in character. The same goes for public speaking and work presentations. Why? University of Glasgow scientists found that the brain can assess a person’s emotional state in just one-fifth of a second. In that brief moment, you can’t hide your fear if you’re unprepared. Get into the right emotional state ahead of time—anywhere, even in a public restroom if you have to.
9. Don’t Be Afraid of a Pat on the Shoulder
Numerous sales experiments have shown that a simple touch from a manager increased the time customers spent in a store, as well as their average purchase and satisfaction. The same applies to the restaurant business: Cornell University found that customers who were touched on the shoulder left bigger tips. This rule works in other areas of life too—just be careful not to come across as pushy or overly familiar.
10. Clench Your Fists in Tough Moments
If you feel like you’re losing control, running out of willpower, or can’t resist the situation, simply clench your fists! This helps you regain self-control, make a choice, or take a difficult action. It doesn’t matter which muscles you tense—hands, fingers, or calves. This is supported by joint research from the National University of Singapore and the University of Chicago. Mind and body are one!