Empathy and Negotiations

Cambridge dictionary defines empathy as “the ability to share someone else's feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person's situation”. For some, showing empathy comes naturally, for others this is a soft skill that needs to be learned. Knowing how to show empathy in a negotiation is a powerful tool, it shows the other side, that you understand their challenges, and are sympathetic to their situation, it is not agreement or acceptance of their requests, but acknowledgment and understanding, and received at a deeper emotional level and helps build rapport and develop trust.

Research has shown that displays of empathy build rapport and trust, which leads to negotiation success. On the other hand, lack of empathy can negatively impact the negotiating parties’ relationship.

So how do we go about showing empathy?

• Practice active listening

• Use verbal mirroring

• Look out for body language cues

• Use open questions

• Demonstrate understanding, not judgment

The skill of using empathy in a negotiation is not nice to have, it’s a must, it what separates good negotiators from professional negotiators that get results every time!