Five Characteristics That People Should Embrace to Become Better Negotiators

Five Traits You Need to Become a Better Negotiator

Develop These Characteristics, Traits, and Negotiation Skills to Improve Confidence, Influence, and Results.

Why Some People Struggle in Negotiations

Whether you’re negotiating business deals, project deadlines, job offers, or family matters, success doesn’t come down to tactics alone. The most effective negotiators embrace key characteristics that shape how they plan, communicate, and respond under pressure.

Great negotiators aren’t born – they’re developed. Here are five essential traits top performers use to consistently negotiate better outcomes in their business and personal lives:

1. Curiosity About the Other Side’s Needs and Pressures

Good negotiators avoid assumptions, hypotheses, and conjectures. Instead, skilled negotiators ask targeted forensic blueprinting questions to uncover what the other side wants, needs, or fears. Understanding the other side’s desired outcome, pain points, and constraints gives you a decisive advantage.

Negotiation Tip: Use forensic blueprinting questions and proven questioning techniques to uncover the other side’s dominant motivation and ensure you use the information to appeal to the other side.

2. Commitment to Continuous Skill Development

Negotiation is a life skill. The best negotiators actively study, refine, and practice their craft. Whether through one-on-one or team negotiation coaching, attending in-house/online/public courses, or through post-negotiation autopsies and debrief sessions.

Negotiation Tip: Analyze past negotiations like professional athletes and their coaches review game film. Look for what worked, what didn’t, and what you need to do differently and better next time to achieve better results.

3. Mastery of Negotiating Gambits and Countergambits

In our training programs and coaching sessions, we teach negotiating gambits and corresponding countergambits. Winning negotiations often hinge on how – and when – you deploy or defend against strategic negotiation tactics. From the “Higher Authority” to “Nibbles” and “Good Cop/Bad Cop,” gambits are chess terminology, which means maneuvers for advantage. The best negotiators know how to use gambits effectively, identify when gambits are used on them, and how to defend/respond professionally.

4. Practice Across All Negotiation Scenarios

Don’t wait for high-stakes business negotiations to improve your negotiation skills. Practice in everyday situations – such as negotiating with banks, credit card companies, landlords, mobile phone companies, contractors, customers, and vendors, as well as handling internal corporate discussions, compensation talks, and personal conversations. Self-discipline and consistency build capability, skills, and confidence.

5. Focus on Creating Win-Win Outcomes

Negotiation isn’t about winning at the other side’s expense. Strong negotiators build outcomes that benefit both sides – maintaining relationships and managing long-term value.

Balance assertiveness with empathy. Know your opening negotiating position, desired outcome, and walkaway position, and imply flexibility in how you achieve them or decide to walk away professionally.

Are You Ready to Strengthen The 5 Traits and Become a Skilled Negotiator?

Take Action and Invest in My Negotiating Advantage Newsletter, Expert Negotiation Skills Training, Negotiation Consulting and Coaching Services, Digital Negotiation Learning Products, and Self-Paced Online Course to Become a Better Negotiator.

Subscribe to the paid Negotiating Advantage Newsletter to receive in-depth insights, strategies, tactics, questions, questioning techniques, and practical tips on business and personal negotiation topics – delivered weekly to your inbox.
Hire Negotiating Coach® Michael E. Sloopka to conduct a tailored in-house negotiation skill training presentation or seminar to enhance negotiation skills and achieve better results.
Hire Negotiating Coach® Michael E. Sloopka to provide expert negotiation consulting and coaching for your leadership, sales, marketing, and cross-functional teams.
Explore and buy results-producing digital learning products (E-books, the Audio Learning Program, and turnkey tools) and negotiation coaching solutions designed to improve negotiating skills and results.
Speaking Engagements – Industry Associations and Companies: Book a tailored, engaging, and impactful 60-minute to two-hour presentation at an upcoming meeting, conference, or convention.
Online Sales Negotiation Course: If you’re in sales, sales management, or a cross-functional role that supports sales, you can benefit from enrolling in my NEW self-paced Negotiating for Sales Success online course.