How Does Stress During A Negotiation Affect Us?

The most common methods of negotiation in business consist of pushing people. They involve trying to pressure people to choose what we want them to choose. The purpose of this is to confuse the person we are trying to influence. It can lead to a lot of stress during a negotiation.

By diverting their attention from the key elements of the negotiation conversation, we can gradually get them to do exactly what we want them to do. However, it is not always possible that we have the opportunity to lead this whole process. So sometimes we have to negotiate.

A negotiation process requires more than just knowing how to most effectively communicate and explain things. It is also important to know how to deal with stress during a successful negotiation.

This is especially important if we have to make decisions and make agreements in a hurry. If time runs out and we are forced to make a hasty decision, then we may just become extra stressed.

Stress during a negotiation

As we have seen, stress during a negotiation can easily arise when we are negotiating something, and especially in situations where we feel pressured. However, it is possible that stress, in certain situations, can be a positive emotion. The most important thing is that we know how to deal with stress.

Many underlying causes can make us feel overwhelmed when we are in the middle of a negotiation process. A bad negotiation process can occur if misunderstandings arise between our boss or colleagues.

For example, stress can arise if there was a work project that ended badly and damaged the company’s reputation or if one is suddenly faced with a huge pile of work.

That is why, first of all, when stress arises, we experience a certain overwhelming feeling. Thoughts pile up in large piles and prevent us from thinking clearly. Instead of taking a stand on things with a certain calm and order, chaos takes over.

This is why if we experience stress during a negotiation, then we are more likely to get confused. This can greatly influence our decisions. 

Sometimes, stress can make us want to run away from the situation. We begin to feel much more pressure from others, so much so that we may feel we have to flee the situation. This can make us feel extremely insecure, and as if we do not know what we are doing or how to confront conflicts.

Another result is that we may become impossible to negotiate with or be prevented from expressing our views.

-Peter Drucker-

How to reduce stress during a negotiation

If we give in to our stress, negative consequences will often arise. It is important for us to learn how to deal with stress, precisely in order to be successful and avoid being overwhelmed. To do this, it is important that we consider the following steps:

Be well prepared for your negotiation

To counter-argue contradictory views in a fair way is very difficult if we are not well-informed. We need to have some knowledge on the subject in order to negotiate successfully. It can also help a lot if we know the positions of our colleagues before we try to negotiate, just so we can expect what awaits us.

Try to practice being an active listener

This is the key aspect of any negotiation. You need to be able to listen to others before you even start talking. What are the others thinking? What is their point? It’s better if you try to avoid rushing through your arguments and instead try to listen.

Make use of emotional intelligence

If you start to feel stressed during a negotiation, then it is natural if you start raising your voice and ignoring the person you are talking to. This is not optimal, so you should try to breathe deeply, relax and control your emotions. It is super important if you can manage to identify both your own feelings but also the feelings of the person you are talking to.

Start the negotiation all over again

If the negotiation conversation is completely smoked off the track, then you should try to start it all over again. To be able to do this, you can direct your attention back to the beginning of the conversation. You can also simply choose to take the call a second time. This can help you get better prepared for the conversation.

Positive stress

• Take your time : It is important to know when to postpone or continue a negotiation. It will not help you at all if you choose to rush through it all.

Stress can motivate us to achieve our various goals. However, if stress arises due to a constant social pressure, then stress can be negative. But if you know how to negotiate, prepare for it, handle any conflict and any stress, then it will always go far better for you.