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>Everything is negotiable. Whether or not the negotiation is easy is another thing. Carrie Fisher

I’ve been saying that human nature is diverse and different. And in such diverse way to see the world, from time to time, there is conflict. And a conflict always ends with a negotiation, where both parties sit at a table and discuss an agreement favorable to both parties. 

You might raise your eyebrow at the world conflict, but I’ve used it as a broad spectrum, not necessarily as for the armed conflict. 

We see conflict, disagreements every day. In the market a child wants that particular type of toy and the parent has to talk and negotiate with him to not make a tantrum. We have arguments with everyone around us. But the important part is to talk it out, to reach an agreement. **To negotiate.** 

Because, in the end, what is negotiation? It’s a dialogue, a talk between two or more people, trying to reach a consensus in solving a conflict, with benefits for everyone involved. 

## Why is negociation important?

As I kept mentioning above, through negotiation, we end a conflict, we **solve a problem.** That is an important thing right? Solving a problem. 

Negotiation implies discussion, communication, which in the end increases the level of trust between the parties and improves the relationship. 

You can also gain more **benefits.** Financial, material, relationship wise. Learning how to negotiate will help you achieve more. Negotiation is about solving a problem, you will want to gain more, the other party will want that as well. But trough a good negotiation process, you can gain more than expected. And if both of you are happy at the end of the negotiation, maybe you will collaborate in the future as well. As I’ve said, **negotiation improves relationships.** 

## How to learn to negotiate?

Now that we established that negotiation is important, now we should start learning to do it properly. 

Start by **listening to your counterpart.** Listening is an underrated skill nowadays, as I’ve previously mentioned in a similar [post](https://steemit.com/life/@sstefan/essential-skills-in-life-listening). Listening will help you build respect and trust with the person in front of you. 

**Prepare yourself. Do your homework.** Negotiation is about presenting arguments and obtaining a best outcome for yourself, while making the other side feel that they win as well. This is why you need to be prepared when entering the negotiation room. Base your arguments on hard facts, real facts and be sure on what you have to say. You will look strong doing this and those with you negotiate might be willing to accept your proposal. 

**Make it a win-win situation.** Think about the other side as well. The wrong approach for a negotiation is to enter with the mindset that you have to win and the other side to lose. People will catch on that. Try to make a proposal that will make the other side want to work you with in the future as well. 

**Practice.** I think this is a trend in this series, because I mention it on every skill. Practicing will always help you to learn faster, to improve yourself and your skills. So try practicing negotiation with the people around you. Go to the flea market or a bazaar near you and negotiate the price for that vintage lamp that would look good on your desk. 

Of course, you can always attend a class or read a book to improve your knowledge about negotiation. I encourage you to do this. Try to improve this skill as much as possible, because we negotiate almost every day of our lives, even in situation we don’t think about it. 

>“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” JFK, Inaugural Address, January 20 1961

*Image source: [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/en/hand-hands-shaking-hands-man-hand-853188/)*

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*<b>Essential skills in life</b> is a series of articles regarding skills that I consider everyone should try to develop them. Some of them I have, some of them I'm working on. Please follow me @sstefan if you want to check the next post of the series.*