Controlling your Emotions

I’ve heard numerous times leave your ego outside the door or there is no place for emotions in negotiations, well as much as we all would love to walk into a room full of people and be cold as ice and 100% aware of every move and emotion we show, this, in reality, is almost impossible, that’s why I say yes, bring yourself to the table, be human show emotions, yet at the same time be aware of the effect of what you say, how you say it (verbal and non-verbal communication) and what your body language says, meaning you need to know yourself better maybe then you know your opponent. A small trick I’ve learned over the years is to list what I think my personality traits are and the effect it has on my business conduct, and then review this with a close colleague to get their feedback (many times you will be surprised how differently the world sees you, compared to how you view yourself), once completed take the list with you to your next negotiation and once in a while take a peek at what you noted, you won't’ believe how this will improve your awareness and control of your emotions, ultimately impacting the negotiation outcome.