In the last article, I outlined the five Don’ts or the “GAFFS” to help you improve your negotiating skills and outcomes. Today we’ll take a look at the first of these five Don’ts or the “G”. The rest of the Don’ts will be covered in the next series of articles.

The first of these is Don’t: Give anything away without getting something in return. When you indicate that you are willing to give something to the other party, make it very clear that you are making a concession and that you expect something in return. The thing to remember is that negotiating is like trading; it is not a one way street where all concessions favor one party.

The key is that to achieve a satisfactory outcome, both parties must be satisfied with the final agreement. To make that happen will require both parties making concessions along the way. Just make sure the other party understands they are gaining something each time you concede a point and also make sure that you get something in return before the negotiations have concluded.

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