“I Hate To Negotiate!” Overcoming Avoidance

Negotiation is a lot like public speaking — it can be terrifying. Here are some simple ideas to help get you off the diving platform and into the negotiating pool.

  1. See negotiation with an “abundance” view. People would not enter a negotiation unless they wanted something. Recognizing this and knowing that all parties can leave having gained something, can help reduce your anxiety. Sure, the pie has to be divided, but that’s not where you should start, nor is it where you should end. Seeing negotiation with a scarcity view is self-fulfilling at best. Try to think about why the other side is engaging you. Find ways that you could end up getting both your needs met.
  2. Make progress not perfection. Negotiation can be even more challenging than public speaking, since unlike a speech, there are at least two people involved and there is no script. Therefore, the outcome is more unpredictable, causing anxiety. Expecting perfection is unrealistic. Making progress is a more realistic goal. Skill grows with experience.
  3. Step into your own shoes. It is crucial to increase self-awareness and to see yourself objectively. What is it that you really want in this situation? What is success? What are the consequences of not negotiating? What will you not be able to achieve?
  4. Step into their shoes. How does the other person see the situation? Are they out to get you? Or could they also be anxious and trying to protect themselves? Given your assessment of them, think how can you say things in a way that will best be heard.
  5. Practice in “no-risk” situations. Opportunities to practice negotiating present themselves everyday. Go to a garage sale or flea market. Look forward to the next time you are at a restaurant and they get your order wrong. Gaining confidence in situations that are less risky can help you deal better in those negotiations that really matter.
  6. Do your homework. Know your facts. What are the standards, precedents, data that may come up in the negotiation? What will you do if the negotiation goes south? Relevant information builds both negotiation confidence and competence.
  7. Rehearse the challenging situations. Ask a friend or trusted colleague to help you practice. Again, since you ultimately have no control over the other party, focus on what you are going to do.
  8. Relax. Most of us interact better when we’re calm and focused. Find ways to ease your anxiety. Whether it’s going for a run, meditating or reading a good novel, getting yourself in the right mindset is critical.

Getting over negotiation performance anxiety is a key to self-improvement. You can then focus on all the fundamentals and advanced skills of negotiation. Employing strategies to reduce self-consciousness, increase self-awareness and increase your comfort level are important steps toward better negotiating.

When Do We Have To Send Wedding Presents?

This is one information that will be helpful to you when giving presents to newly weds. What’s good about knowing the couple first before heading out to buy gifts is that you would know what they would really want to receive on their wedding.

There are couples who will be married the first time. The process of looking for the right gift is a bit hard if you do not have any personal relationship with the couple who are getting married. Giving a gift for the newly weds has been a tradition that has been brought on by our ancestors centuries ago. Although you have to give a gift, it doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune. What’s important is that you remembered to prepare something for the two on their special day.

Make sure that you do your little research prior to giving gifts to couples who may not be new to getting married. Actually being in the wedding celebration is enough for these couples. Remember that whatever you present the couple will be treasured for you have sincerely offered them something on their special day. There are couples who request for gift envelopes instead. You may also share with other friends if you want to give an expensive gift for the two.

There are couples however who would like a separate gift for the bride and the groom. Guests who are underage are not really required to give any gifts. There’s no need to bring any gift, if you were just invited by a friend to attend the wedding and not by the couple themselves.

Buy A Hamper For a Birthday Present

A hamper is a great gift at any time of year although many people might expect them to be associated with Christmas. They work well as birthday presents because there’s a wide variety of them available. You can pick a hamper to suit perfectly the person you’re giving it to.

Hampers are packed with nice treats that can be used as a birthday feast. This makes them ideal for celebrating a special birthday and allows the recipient to have a really lovely time opening the hamper and them enjoying all the contents.

A hamper is a wonderful gift to get too. They arrive in a large package which is always exciting to get. They are packed in either boxes or nice wicker hampers that can be kept long after the contents have been eaten! The hampers are lovely to get and keep as a reminder of the gift, and they’re always useful to have for storing things in, and they’re always very decorative.

Buying the right hamper means looking through the available options and picking one which will really suit the birthday person. Of course any hamper with alcohol in must be bought by someone over 18, and should only be given as a gift to someone who is old enough to drink!

With different types of hamper including chocolate ones, cold food ones including cheese and salmon, as well as tradition food hampers, there’s a wide choice that should be enough to please anyone! If you know the recipient has a sweet tooth then pick one that will have lots of sweets and chocolate in! If you know they love red wine, pick one with a bottle of red wine in! It’s simple really – you know what they like so you just match this with the variety of hampers and pick the right one!

Celebrate a birthday by buying them a hamper! It’s a great idea that is a wonderful present to get, something different, unusual and something you know they can really enjoy!