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You will be having another business presentation soon. You don’t know if you should be excited about it because the last one you did fail. Why did it fail? You can have a trip back to memory lane. And while doing that, prepare your props. If you don’t have enough time, don’t worry. You can always turn to the right printing company to process rush printing services for you.

The Big Day
You must consider each presentation as the big day. It is your chance to get sponsors. You can avail good business deals and proposals. All you have to do is stand in front and talk. But that’s the wrong notion.

If you just stand there and proceed with your presentation, it is more likely that the people who are listening to you will get bored. Yes, these are business people. They are always tired and busy. They might think that your boring presentation is a sign that they must take that needed break and doze off.

You don’t want that to happen. You didn’t spent days and hours rehearsing your lines just to present to a group of sleeping people who have chosen dreamland over you. Do not give them any reason to even wink. Show them that what you have to say is that good. And they wouldn’t want to miss anything out.

Now you think, is this possible? Of course, it is. Here are some suggestions to give that knockout business presentation.

1. Prepare
You can’t come in to the meeting browsing through your files and looking for something that you have left behind. You have to omit the ums and ahs on your speech. If you don’t, the people who are listening to you may not get what you are pointing out.

So come prepared for the battle. Make sure that you know what you will say. And find a way to voice it out eloquently.

2. Use a Power Point presentation
But you have to be careful. Do not overload the presentation with too much information. For sure, these people would like to know a brief background about your company. But they don’t have to know its entire history.

This applies with the entire course of your business presentation. You are already saying the facts. The Power Point can just highlight the main elements through bullet points. Stay on the topic. Just tell these people what they want to know.

3. Act professional
You may have the knack for comedy, but this is no comedy bar. So you must act professional. It is okay to lighten up the mood but do not do it on the entire presentation. You don’t want those reputable people not to treat you seriously.

4. Prepare your props
If you are running out of time, check out the rush printing services from the right printing company. While you are presenting, hand out brochures or catalogs that the attendees can read. You should also be equipped with color folders that contain your company name and logo. And after the meeting, don’t forget to give them your business card.

You will never know the importance of rush printing services until you are faced with an urgent meeting like a business presentation. Don’t be beaten by the dreamland. Do everything right.

Would you agree that your success, in business and in life, is determined by your ability to successfully ask for, and get, what you want? It may have begun when you first asked for a cookie. Today, you may be asking for a $50,000 contract or a higher discount on supplies. The principles are the same. Yet I find people often miss the mark. Clients tell me that they fear negotiations will result in anger, so they never even ask for what they want. Or their negotiations bring about a stalemate. In every instance, we find that four specific keys are missing.

Good negotiation skills can actually increase your credibility, your communication and your business. These simple steps will make all the difference:

Begin with a clear understanding of what you want from the negotiation. Dig below the surface. If you are negotiating for a higher sale price or a discount, you could get stuck on a line item; instead, consider the total picture. What gets you the highest return? Are there tax considerations? Are there costs the other side could absorb? Are there other requests such as timing, financing or down payments to consider? Understand WHY you want what you say you want. Creativity could result in getting a vacation at the end of a conference – with your client picking up the travel cost to the event. Or you might take an equity interest in a company as part of your compensation for potential long-term return. When you recognize your short- and long-term objectives, you are in the best position to negotiate.

State your intention for a win-win negotiation up front. Remove any potential adversarial positioning by addressing it clearly. You might say, “I want to discuss some additional areas where I would like to see changes. My intention is that we reach an agreement that is unquestionably fair to both of us. Is that OK?” Get agreement for the discussion and the ground rules for openness and fairness before proceeding.

Ask questions to elicit the underlying needs of the other party. As you probably discovered in the first step, there may be many important points requiring discussion. If you were negotiating to purchase real estate, you might ask what the sellers intended to do with the money. Knowing whether they had already purchased another home, or whether they wanted ongoing cash flow from an investment, would dictate entirely different approaches to handling the transaction. Keep asking questions until you have a very good understanding of what will satisfy their needs. You are then ready for the next step.

Be flexible in meeting both parties’ needs while making small concessions. If you have done the first three steps, you now have a significant list of possibilities…and it is time to be creative. Do you have services or connections that would assist the other party? Can you offer discounts or timing flexibility? Be prepared to expand beyond your original request. Make small concessions one at a time in order to keep the conversation moving forward. Never give your final offer until you have already conceded many small points. Why? If you give a final offer without first realizing that you are giving something valuable, you may reach an early impasse. And it is entirely possible that by using this method, you will reach an agreement far more favorable to you than you originally imagined – while also satisfying the other party.

By following the four keys above, you will enjoy significantly greater success in negotiations. However, if either party is doing one of the following, the negotiation has little chance to succeed.

FATAL APPROACHES IN NEGOTIATION

Fixating on the impossible. There are times that a past event becomes an issue. Perhaps a deadline has passed, or an event was ruined. In a recent negotiation, the mother of the bride repeated the statement that her daughter was crying on her wedding day. It is important to acknowledge that YOU CAN’T CHANGE THE PAST. The point of negotiation is to agree to something that is in the present and carries forward. Both parties must agree to consider only the options available at this point. Fixation on the past can be a no-win tactic because it puts greater emphasis on the currency of emotion.

Negotiating for power or pain. In divorces or other emotionally charged situations, there is often little possibility of a win-win outcome, because one or both parties care only about bringing pain to the other side. Money is simply a vehicle for distributing the hurt – and as a result, no one can really win. If you find yourself in this situation, go back to step one. Get to the bottom of what you really want and encourage the other party to do the same.

Mastering these principles requires great introspection, listening skills and clear communication. But they can make you a skilled negotiator. Not only that, skilled negotiations can increase the confidence that people place in you.

Ready, set…negotiate!

Kevin Spacey made it seem like very serious business in “The Negotiator” and we agree with him! It is important that budding entrepreneurs equip themselves with a strategy for effective negotiation. Why, you ask? Its simple… every one thinks about their own selves, avers Dale Carnegie of “How to Win Friends and Influence People” fame. Doing smart business is often a question of striking deals that are attractive to others while serving one’s own interests. This is where good negotiating skills come in handy.

Negotiating skills are needed during all business interactions, be it acquiring a new client, striking deals with suppliers, hiring new employees or even keeping the ones you have. Bear a couple of things in mind to negotiate well:

The personal touch: Whatever be the deal you are trying to negotiate, keeping in contact with the other party is essential. By this we do not mean fixing appointments over the answering machine! Ideally, one should make an effort to meet the client or vendor in person. This will not only secure the other parties’ attention but also give you a chance to assess them closely.

Understand the terrain: The strategy you employ during negotiations will depend upon the other party as well. For instance, if you have common interests, collaboration is the most likely outcome. Compromise is yet another outcome, wherein both parties settle for something a little short of their individual targets. But if your groundwork is strong, you could be calling the shots. Be a patient listener and try to get as much as possible out of the other person; this will put you in the driver’s seat. Prepare and play your cards well, else you could find yourself accommodating more and more concessions.

Aim high: While the idea is to make the deal as beneficial as possible, that’s probably what the other person is going for as well. So, define your targets and keep them high enough to ensure that you do not lose out in the bargain. Ensure a fairly large margin to play with. While setting goals, stick to what is best for your company, (reputation included) rather than that which merely enhances profits. Remember to be discreet about your own goals while negotiating; keep the opponent guessing about what’s on your mind!

Keep the ball rolling: Good negotiating skills require adopting an active stance. For every problem the other party comes up with, discuss possible solutions. Be enthusiastic and persuasive; emphasize common ground and stress on the benefits of the deal to the other person. Unexpected opportunities might emerge during the dialog; hence be prepared to request for more time, if you need to consult with others. Likewise, if dispensable clauses seem to be getting in the way, compromising on them is probably the best thing to do.

See which way the wind blows: Don’t hesitate to make or seek clarifications as this will avoid confusion later. Think twice before you agree to anything new on the spot; there might be more to it than what is obvious. Keep your ears and eyes open for any changes that might not be in the best interest of your business. Calling off a deal that is a no deal is just as important as negotiating well.

Face roadblocks head on: While conflicts are common to all negotiations, they need to be handled with caution. Suggest temporary solutions to problems until they can be discussed at length later. This way you could buy more time to tackle those difficulties efficiently. If there are more than two people on either side then call for a vote to resolve the setback.

The devil is in the details: Once you see the deal through, take care to outline the terms and conditions carefully. Specify the validity of the contract and clauses addressing compensation if the deal falls out among other things. Do this meticulously to avoid loopholes. Attention to minute details will help save precious time and money, should the tide turn against you. Look before you leap; don’t make any commitments before the deal is down in black and white.

There might come a time when it seems like the discussion is headed nowhere; stay patient and focused through it. “Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving In” by Roger Fisher, William L. Ury and Bruce Patton , could be a good start for those of you wanting to nail the deal at top speed . “Interviewing, Counseling, and Negotiating: Skills for Effective Representation” by Robert M. Bastress and Joseph D. Harbaugh, could improve your negotiating skills a great deal. If poor communication has been getting in the way of your negotiating skills, solve your problem .

Finally, be confident about yourself and your offer; most importantly, end the discussion on a good note, whether you decide for or against the arrangement. With our tips to guide you, “The Negotiator” could well be your second name!