1. Understand Your Worth

The first step to successful negotiation is understanding your own worth. You need to know what you're worth in order to bargain for what you deserve. And don't be afraid to ask for what you want! If you don't ask, the answer is always going to be no. For example, if you're looking for a raise, don't be afraid to ask for what you think you deserve. If your boss doesn't give you the answer you want, be prepared to negotiate.

Did you know: In one study, women who negotiated their salaries earned an average of 7% more than women who didn't negotiate.

2. Know Your Audience

It's important to know who you're negotiating with and what they want. If you're negotiating with your boss, they may be more likely to respond to threats or ultimatums than if you're negotiating with a friend. In any case, try to read the situation and figure out what will work best.

3. Be Confident

Negotiation is all about being confident. If you don'tbelieve in yourself, no one else will. So stand tall, make eye contact, andspeak with confidence. This doesn't mean you have to be aggressive, but youshould be assertive and make it clear that you're not going to back down. Forexample, if you're negotiating a raise, don't be afraid to remind your boss ofall the great work you've done and why you deserve more money.

4. Always assess your BATNA—Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement.

This is the point at which you walk away from the negotiation if you can't get what you want. For example, if you're negotiating a raise and your boss won't budge, you may have to decide whether to accept what they're offering or look for another job.

Bonus tip: it can also be helpful to have a backup plan or "plan B" in mind in case the negotiation doesn't go the way you want it to. It's important to start high when you're negotiating because you can always come down if you need to. But if you start low, it's much harder to get what you want. For example, let's say you're negotiating a salary for anew job. If you start by asking for $10,000 less than what you really want, the company is likely to lowball you and only offer you $5,000 less. But if you start by asking for what you really want, they may be more likely to meet you in the middle.

Did you know: Studies have shown that women are more competent and professional negotiators than men.

5. Be Willing to Compromise

While it's important to know what you want, you also need to be willing to compromise. Otherwise, you're likely to end up in an impasse. If we take the example of negotiating a raise, you may have to be willing to accept a smaller amount than you originally asked for.

Did you know: According to the Gender Action portal, men who negotiated their salaries earned quite a lot more than women who didn't negotiate.

6. Be Patient

Negotiations can often take time, so it's important to be patient. If you rush into a deal, you're likely to make a bad one. So take your time, and don't be afraid to walk away if you're not getting what you want.

7. Use Body Language

Your body language can be just as important as what you sayin a negotiation. For example, if you're looking to be taken seriously, make sure you have good posture and make eye contact. On the other hand, if you're trying to appear more relaxed, you may want to smile and use open body language. Take the example of pay raise. Sit with a confident body posture, make eye contact and start convincing them with your points.

8. Know When to Walk Away

There's no shame in walking away from a bad deal. In fact, sometimes it's the best thing you can do. If you're not getting what you want, or if the other person is being unreasonable, it may be time to walk away. Asper a study by Harvard Business School, you should only accept an offer if it's at least 25% better than your BATNA.

Did you know: Women who demand raises get them only 15% of the time, whereas males receive salary raise 20% of the time, based on the Harvard Business Review.

9. Be Persistent

If, at first, you don't succeed, try, try again. Just because a negotiation doesn't go your way, the first time doesn't mean you should give up. If you're confident in what you're asking for, be persistent and keep trying. For instance, if you're asking for a raise, don't be afraid to keep bringing it up until you get the answer you want.

10. Get Everything in Writing

Once you've reached an agreement, make sure you get it inwriting. This way, there's no confusion about what was agreed upon. Getting something in writing also makes it harder for the other person to back out of the deal.

Bonus tip: Always remember the 3 C's while negotiating- Collaborate, Compromise and be Creative. This will help you build a productive and positive relationship with the other person and come to an agreement that is beneficial for both parties.

‍