If you carefully analyze politicians you quickly figure out the fact that they are really good at convincing people to do some things. This is because they are highly effective negotiators. A good politician will always have a much higher possibility of persuading someone than a regular individual. In fact, Cielo Gonzalez Villa showcases that the similarities between the very best negotiators in the world and the best politicians are numerous.
If you are interested in enhancing negotiation skills and are interested in tactics, let’s take a look at some that are used by the most experienced politicians.
Not Answering Questions
Most experienced politicians are really good when it comes to not actually answering questions when being put in bad light. Really good negotiators need to know how to answer a question by responding with a question. This is changing a conversation’s direction while important information is not actually divulged.
Reframing Statements Or Questions
A politician is skilled at reframing statements and questions so that they are positioned in a highly positive perspective. For instance, he alters the question so that it has a different meaning, one that is positive for the individual. The experienced negotiator understands how valuable conversation reshaping is and often uses this in order to lead conversations towards desired directions of a negotiation flow.
Body Language
When you see a top politician you can be sure that he/she is really good at reading hidden meanings in body language. As the smart negotiator is actively negotiating, he/she is always on the lookout for valuable clues that would offer an insight into the thoughts of the other party. Such insight offers an extreme advantage during negotiations, offering information that is simply not offered through the spoken word.
Block And Bridge
This is a specific technique that happens when a point or question is acknowledged. Basically, the politician blocks the question he does not want to answer and uses it with the purpose of bridging towards a desired topic of conversation.
Negotiators understand how and when to appease negotiation partners. Cursory response is offered, leading to the perception that a point was addressed. In reality, the negotiator moves the entire conversation towards something that he/she wants to highlight. Out of all the negotiating tactics, this is one that is really powerful so it is often used by the best negotiators. Use this in your own negotiations and you will quickly understand how useful it can be.
Final Thoughts
If you want to become a better negotiator it is always a really good idea to take a look at what the politicians are doing. If you look closely you will find some strategies that you already learned, but applied in different ways. The skilled politicians are incredibly good negotiators. This is necessary since top-level officials are responsible for really tricky negotiations, sometimes happening with others that are equally good from other departments or even countries. Always watch debates and try to identify the strategies that the politicians use and you will become a much betternegotiator.
