Source: Adobe Stock
Why Negotiation is a Skill Any Marketer Should Master
Negotiation in short is the ability to come to a mutual agreement with another person or group of people. Mastering this interpersonal skill will allow you to grow professionally and personally while fostering relationships out of respect and empathy.
In marketing, we are constantly negotiating internally amongst our teams and with our clients. Because this is a creative landscape, there is not a simple formula for how a marketing plan should be run, an ad should be made, or a flyer to be designed. Every asset has its distinct objective and often negotiations must happen to agree on how things should be crafted.
Negotiation in Practice and Empathy
Yanyn San Luis, CEO and Founder of The Win Women, quotes former FBI hostile negotiator Chriss Voss in her presentation Negotiate like a Boss stating: “You’re not empathic if you can’t show empathy to someone who strongly disagrees with you.” Negotiations are a two-way process, as much as you give your input you must listen and be receptive to the other side, in order to have a fulfilling and prosperous conclusion. The joy of marketing is the ability to push boundaries – this can never be done unless these hard conversations happen. Skilled negotiation is the key to your ideas being heard and executed.
In my day-to-day as a Marketing and PR Specialist, I am constantly negotiating with designers and clients on deadlines, image choices, copy changes, and strategic priorities. A recent example of a negotiation taking place is coming up with a digital solution for a printed directory we currently have. Rather than updating an 80-page booklet and allocating budget and resources to something that always seems to be outdated, we’re pushing for a digital format that is more aligned with the times of technology and sufficiency.