I love the art of negotiating!  I look at it as a game , which is exactly what negotiating is.  Though, one of the hardest things to do is to negotiate for YOURSELF!  According to Herb Cohen, a master negotiator and author, the reason we have such a hard time negotiating for ourselves is that we’re too emotionally attached.

If you’re going to negotiate for yourself you have to remove your emotions from the game.  Here are some tips to help you remove your emotions from the game and other tips to negotiate for yourself:

Hire Someone to Negotiate for YOU

One of the easiest and best ways to remove your emotions from the negotiating game is to remove yourself completely by hiring someone to negotiate for you.  If you are negotiating a deal that is worth a significant amount of money or has significant then you  really should hire someone else.  Usually this will pay for itself and more.

Set Your Expectations

Set your expectations on what you want to get out of the negotiation. Your expectations should include what you hope to get (your upper limit) and what you’re willing to walk away with (your lower limit).  Setting your expectations appropriately will allow you to feel comfortable with walking away from the negotiation with what you have or just walking away if the other side isn’t able to meet you at your lowest limit.

Consult With Someone Else

Before you come to an agreement or if you’re having problems getting close to an agreement, take a step back and call a friend, loved one, or business partner to discuss your negotiation situation.  It’s best if this person doesn’t have any connection to the negotiation.  This person will often have a different perspective than you and can offer the much needed advice to get you closer to completing the negotiation.

Good luck with your negotiations.  For more advice, check out this post on negotiating.