In the latest HCI Webinar, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Andres Lares about negotiation and influencing for success. Below is a summary of the main points from their conversation! Check out the full episode and let us know what you think!
Watch the episode here:
Quick Recap
Jonathan and Andres discussed the importance of negotiation and influence training in various professions, with a focus on soft skills like communication, emotional intelligence, and empathy. They emphasized the value of a collaborative and mutual win approach in negotiations and influencing, and the need for intellectual humility, active listening, and curiosity in effective communication. The conversation also touched on the work of Andres' team at the Power Negotiation Institute, and the importance of maintaining healthy relationships for successful outcomes.
Negotiation and Influencing for Success Discussion
Jonathan and Andres had an introductory discussion before beginning their talk on negotiation and influencing for success. Andres, who is the managing partner at Shapiro Negotiations Institute, shared some information about his background and the institute's work. The institute, based in Baltimore, offers negotiation training and coaching, with a focus on sports and development, and has recently developed new initiatives such as online training and virtual reality-based negotiation simulations. The conversation was set to delve deeper into these topics and more.
SNI's Evolution and Negotiation Training Approach
Andres explained the origins and evolution of SNI, a 29-year-old negotiation and influence training company founded by the prominent sports agent, Ron Chappy. Initially, the company served primarily as a training platform for sports team owners, but it soon expanded to include corporate clients. Today, corporate work constitutes 85% of SNI's business, focusing on negotiation training for diverse professions, including salespeople, procurement personnel, engineers, and even those in the pharmaceutical space. The company's training approach emphasizes the various variables involved in negotiation beyond just price, offering personalized and professionalized guidance.
Soft Skills Training and Positive Influence
Andres and Jonathan discussed the importance of soft skills training in various professions, with a focus on communication, negotiation, and influencing skills. They emphasized the need to use these skills in a positive and healthy way, to influence and negotiate with others in a way that promotes success and positive relationships, whether in personal or professional contexts. The discussion also touched on the examples of influence and negotiation in their own lives, and they highlighted the importance of understanding the meanings and connotations of the words we use in our interactions with others.
Skills for Professional Services Success
Andres and Jonathan discussed the importance of skills like negotiation, influence training, and emotional intelligence in the professional services sector. They noted that while these skills are highly valued, there is a tendency to avoid sales training due to perceived associations with 'dirty' or unprofessional activities. Andres pointed out the significance of semantics in how these skills are framed and presented. Both agreed on the importance of communication, emotional intelligence, empathy, and having a process or structure for handling challenging situations. They also stressed the significance of confidence and conveyed their belief that having a preparation process can enhance effectiveness and understanding in challenging conversations.
Emphasizing Emotional Intelligence in Communication
Jonathan emphasized the importance of emotional intelligence and empathy in effective communication, negotiation, and persuasion. He pointed out that making assumptions and relying on unconscious bias can often lead to miscommunication and self-defeating behavior. Instead, he advocated for intellectual humility, active listening, and asking the right questions to understand the other person's needs and perspectives. He also highlighted that quiet, self-assured individuals who listen more than they speak can be powerful communicators and influencers.
Humility, Curiosity, and Effective Communication
Jonathan and Andres discussed the importance of humility and curiosity in effective communication. Andres emphasized the value of listening more than speaking, and of approaching conversations with genuine curiosity and a willingness to learn. Jonathan agreed, highlighting the need to be open to understanding the other person's perspective and to recognize one's own limitations. They both stressed the importance of these qualities in negotiation, persuasion, and influence, and acknowledged the challenges of maintaining these qualities under pressure.
Emphasizing Collaboration in Negotiations
Jonathan and Andres discussed the importance of adopting a collaborative and mutual win approach in negotiations and influencing, instead of a win-at-all-cost mentality. They emphasized that such an approach fosters better relationships, improves customer experience, and ultimately leads to better outcomes. They also highlighted the idea that negotiations are the start or continuation of a relationship, and the strategy should adjust based on the other party's behavior. They concluded that maintaining healthy relationships, considering the other party's perspective, and recognizing the value of the relationship can lead to successful outcomes.
Listen to the webinar here:
