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both for gaining new skills and in helping your succeed in future
deals.

Conflict arises because you and the other party in a business deal have
differing opinions about what solution is the best outcome for a
particular situation. It might be the wording of a contract, or the terms
of a sale. No matter what the conflict might be, negotiating can be an
effective means for both parties to come to an agreeable compromise.

One of the most important skills a negotiator will learn in training is
formulating a clear objective of what to expect from the process of
negotiating. This must be kept at the forefront for the other steps you
will take in preparing for your conflict negotiation. Knowing what the
objective is then allows you to consider modifications that could be
made to your terms and still allow you to achieve your objective. This
is invaluable in helping to provide solutions so that you and your
negotiator counterpart can come to a reasonable solution. Knowing
what your objective is also gives you a starting place to determine
what the benchmark will be for the minimum terms acceptable for
reaching an agreement on the issue.

Conflict negotiation training also provides the negotiator with a
variety of strategies that can be used to bring the negotiations to a
successful resolution. One excellent strategy is to be an effective
listener. Truly hearing what the other parties in negotiations have to
say will allow you to better understand what they see as terms in the
conflict. Knowing this, you can frame alternatives that you offer in
such a way so that it appeals to them on as many levels as possible,
and thus they will be more likely to agree to your terms. You can also
gain clarity on your counterpart’s positions by asking them questions.
Their answers will provide useful information that can help you
modify or change your positions’ wording, showing them how it will
be of benefit to them, while not backing down on your ultimate
objectives.
You can also achieve a successful conflict negotiation by first
beginning to reach an agreement on some small issues. Once you have

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