Let's Get Personal

Good negotiators have more than good business judgment. Being successful as a negotiator goes beyond knowing what you want and how much you are willing to pay for it. In fact, it may be that successful negotiators have a good negotiating personality.

The reality is you negotiate with people and certain personal traits always come into play. For instance, last week we discussed credibility in negotiations. Credibility is a tremendously important attribute in a negotiator. However, there are several other personal traits that help a negotiator achieve better results.

Some of the traits of a good negotiator are:

• Ability to inspire confidence
• Tolerance for conflict
• Patience
• Open-mindedness
• Self-confidence
• Integrity
• Stamina
• Persistence
• Tact
• Flexibility
• Sense of humor

Obviously, not every person has every trait. And as you can see, these traits are not about education or experience. They are about character and personality. It’s no coincidence that these traits are also the hallmarks of a pleasant personality. Working on developing these traits will not only make you a more agreeable person, but will make you a better negotiator.