Negotiation is everything. If you can empathize with someone to get what you want without compromising on your boundaries, you’ll be positioned to succeed in every field. But not everyone is born a great negotiator, most of us need some help.
While your default setting might be, “my way or the highway,” that likely won’t work in every scenario. Whether you’re sealing the deal on a big purchase, securing investment at the right valuation, making a sale with a tough customer or simply negotiating with your team, learn how to do it better with a few tips from ChatGPT.
When trying these prompts, have a specific situation in mind. Dig into a client challenge that’s been bugging you recently, explain an employee conundrum that you’d just love to solve, or visualize the future and get ahead of anything that’s likely to come up.
Use ChatGPT to hone your negotiation skills
Start strong
Your opening line sets the tone for the entire interaction. It asserts your position and puts someone in the state of mind to argue or concede, so it matters a lot. Keep in mind what you want to achieve and craft that opening sentence with the endgame in mind. Get ChatGPT’s help by using this prompt.
“I’m trying to [outline what you want to achieve] with someone who [explain the other party’s stance] and I want to reach an outcome where [explain your negotiation goals]. Help me craft a strong and persuasive opening statement for negotiations that sets the right tone and stands me in good stead for reaching an optimal outcome.”
Ask better questions
You don’t always need to barrel in with your strong opinions and let everyone know where you stand. Sometimes hanging back, keeping your cards close to your chest, and asking great questions can mean the other person shows their hand too soon. They share information you can leverage to bring them around to your way of thinking. Here’s how you help that process along.
“I think that once the other person realizes [the truth you believe the other person is unaware of] they will [explain how they could agree to your plan]. Provide me with a list of insightful questions to ask during negotiations to help me find new ways in, as well as understand the other party’s motivations to make this more likely.”
Handle objections
If you can predict the other party’s objections in advance, you can plan exactly how you will handle them. You’ll know what to say and nothing will catch you off guard. Even if you pretend your solution is off-the-cuff, the outcome of this exercise is effective. They feel seen and heard and you have the chance to think. Get ChatGPT’s assistance in handling objections before they arise.
“How can I anticipate and address potential objections or concerns raised by the other party during this negotiation, ensuring a smoother and more successful process? Some objections I believe they have are [explain their problems] but I’d like to pre-empt every possible issue.”
Find the win-win
You win, they win. Wins all round. If everyone left the conversation happy with the way forward, that would mark a successful result. No lasting resentment, no feelings of inferiority or axes to grind, just a plausible solution and a plan of action. There is nearly always a win-win to be had, you just might need a little assistance in finding it. Let ChatGPT make some suggestions that you can explore or discard as needed.
“Assist me in generating creative win-win solutions that benefit both parties and foster a collaborative atmosphere during negotiations. Potential win-win solutions I have thought of are [explain any you have in mind] but I would like to think of more so I can assess before presenting them.”
Keep your cool
As soon as you get emotional, you lose. Letting anything other than your best self lead a negotiation will see you make irrational, illogical and temper-driven statements that only serve to harm your case. Don’t let that happen. Take deep breaths and ask for a minute to think so you can get some perspective. Do whatever you can to maintain your pokerface and keep your cool. Get ChatGPT’s advice on how to do exactly that.
“In a heated discussion, I sometimes find myself [explain the ways you might lose your cool]. I don’t want to do that here. Give me strategies to keep my composure when engaging in this discussion, so I can continue to direct the conversation positively and achieve my ideal outcome.”
Your personal AI negotiation coach
Leverage ChatGPT to develop and refine your negotiation skills by using the language model as your personal AI negotiation coach. Start strong, ask better questions, pre-empt objections and find the win-win. Finally, keep your cool to ensure your hard work doesn’t go to waste. Use these prompts for valuable insights and guidance to handle any negotiation like a pro.
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