Make your messages count

Last week, we discussed the importance of storytelling. We can use stories to motivate and inspire, as well as to communicate what we do. On a more immediate level, we have the message. According to Dr. Chester Karrass, everything that goes on during a business negotiation is a message.

During a business negotiation, we are working on communicating with the other party. Our commitments, questions, moves and our body language are part of that communication, that is, the message we are trying to send.

One your primary goals during a business negotiation is to persuade the other party. In order to do this, your message must have impact.

The first step in having a persuasive message is to figure out exactly what the message is. What exactly do you want to communicate? Once you have decided what you want to communicate, you can begin to figure out how to send your message.

There are several ways that Dr. Karrass recommends giving your message a persuasive impact:

• Present both sides of the issue


• Present your favored viewpoint last—people remember the beginning and end of a presentation better than the middle.


• State your conclusions explicitly


• Repeat your message because repetition can lead to acceptance


• Stress the similarities between your position and the other party's position

Messages are not just what you say but how you say them. To have a larger and more positive impact, you want to have a good delivery. Avoid putting the other party on the defensive. Being friendly and sympathetic is more effective than being belligerent or belittling the other party.

What are your strategies for better messaging during a negotiation? Please share with us your experiences in the comments.