When most people negotiate, they attempt to bond with the other negotiator in an effort to lay the groundwork for a positive encounter. As a result of adopting such a position, they negate the potential benefits that negativity can have during the negotiation.

Since a good number of negotiators are motivated to move away from negativity and towards that which is perceived to be positive, being negative in a negotiation can have a large impact on the outcome of the negotiation. Therefore, during your negotiation planning, consider how you might utilize negativity. Also, consider how negativity might be used against you during the negotiation and how you might combat it.

The following points give insight into how you might consider positioning yourself, by using negativity during a negotiation.

1. If you know the other negotiator is trying to avoid a particular negative outcome, highlight and reinforce the negative outcome he’ll have if he adopts a position that is contrary to a position you’ve offered. In essence, reinforce the negative outcome he holds to be true in his mind, in an attempt to heighten the potential of it becoming his reality.

2. If you’re negotiating against multiple negotiators, consider adopting a position that will undercut the positions of both negotiators, by causing their positions to become misaligned against each of them.

3. Use the take away to enhance your position. Anytime someone believes he’s won an outcome, mentally, that outcome becomes his; he owns it and views it in that manner. If it’s an outcome that he’s acquired as the result of a hard fought negotiation, the outcome becomes more valuable to him. If you take that outcome away from him, it will become even more valuable. Even if you just use the threat of taking it away, you’ll increase the perceived value of the outcome.

4. Highlight how the other negotiator’s position dissimilates him, compared to what is deemed normal and rational. Since most people possess a crowd or group mentality, they want to be considered like everyone else. If you observe this characteristic in the person with whom you’re negotiating, consider how you might advantage the negotiation by utilizing this tactic.

5. You can utilize the thought of fear, as a source of negative motivation, if you know the other negotiator is moved to action from that point of view. Fear and negativity go hand and hand, and thus to couple the two in one instance can create additional stress and tension in the other negotiator.

If you look at the political process in countries that have free elections, you’ll note how effective most negative advertisements are against a candidate. Thus, from a psychological perspective, negativity sells. In a negotiation, if you use negativity wisely and strategically to promote the move away from position (move from negativity) that the other negotiator might possess, you’ll become more efficient when negotiating… and everything will be right with the world. Remember, you’re always negotiating.

Negotiation Tips:

· Always keep in mind, there will be times when you can minimize your losses and maximize your gains by being negative in a negotiation. Just be sure the time is appropriate before utilizing the strategy of negativity.

· When using negativity, allow the other negotiator to alleviate the pressure of negativity by moving in a direction that he views as being more positive.

· In a negotiation, sometimes you can’t win for losing and you can’t lose from winning. However, you can take control of a negotiation by being able to adapt to its flow and utilizing the appropriate strategy in a given situation. Knowing when to use negativity gives you an additional tool by which to influence the outcome of a negotiation.

In previous articles, I have talked about strategies for creating a strong opening to your presentation. Once you’ve grabbed your audience’s attention, it’s time to move into the body of your presentation. Here, you’ll discuss your topic in more detail. If your purpose is to inform, you’ll use the body of your presentation to describe your topic and demonstrate how it relates to your audience. If you’re goal is to persuade, you’ll use the body of the presentation to define the problem and offer your solution. In this article, we’ll discuss proven methods for developing the body of your presentation.

Remember, you have a limited amount of time in which to address your audience, therefore you must limit the number/breadth of main ideas covered in your presentation. Depending on the time allotted to you, it’s best to stick to two to five main points. You need to provide supporting evidence for each main point, so allow enough time to develop each point in adequate detail. It’s usually best to err on the conservative side – if there’s a question in your mind about how many points you can reasonably discuss, go with the lower number.

Once you’ve determined the most important issues to illuminate during your speech, the next thing you should plan is the appropriate organizational structure for your speech. Yes, you really do need to plan your presentational structure. There’s nothing more frustrating than listening to a speaker who jumps from one topic to another without explaining how the topics are related, repeats herself often, and never seems to get to the point. These are just a few the side effects of poor organizational structure. You should organize the body of our presentation in a manner that makes sense for your subject. In fact, most subjects naturally lend themselves to a particular structure.

The most common organizational patterns are:

1) Topical – use when several ideas relate to your theme, each distinct idea becomes a main point. This structure is useful for informative speeches.

2) Chronological – uses time sequence for a framework. This structure is useful for both informative and persuasive speeches, both of which require the presentation of background information

3) Spatial – organizes material according to physical space. This structure is useful for informative speeches.

4) Classification – organizes material by putting things into categories. This structure is useful for both informative and persuasive speeches.

5) Problem/Solution – organizes material by describing a problem and then presenting a solution. This structure is useful for persuasive speeches.

6) Cause/Effect – organizes material by describing the cause of a problem and then presenting the effects of the problem. This structure is useful for persuasive speeches.

As you can see, some subjects could easily be organized by a number of different patterns. Chose a structure that supports the presentation of the supporting materials you plan to share with your audience. Whatever organizational structure you chose, make sure to stick with it throughout your presentation.

The Christmas season is just around the corner and with it comes joy of giving and receiving gifts. If you have been experiencing some financial difficulties this year, it is best come up with a strategy that can help you save a little on Christmas presents.

You shouldn’t let your financial concerns cloud your holidays, but you also don’t afford not to think about it and pile up a huge amount of debt.

Plan Ahead and Allocate a Fix Budget

The most important aspect that you want to keep in mind when shopping for Christmas gifts is not to leave it on the last minute. It is true that many stores have lots of great offers during Christmas season, but last minute shopping never goes as planned. Think about what you want to buy for your family and friends and adapt those wishes to your financial status.

Best way to do that is to make a lift with all the gifts and allocate them a fixed budget. This will help you stay organized, save time for other activities and most of all save some money.

Homemade Gifts

Homemade gifts are perfect if you need to save money on Christmas shopping; you get the chance to get your loved ones a beautiful and considerate present and also not stress out your budget.

Exchange Gifts

Many families have incorporated this practice into the Christmas traditions; it’s fun and help you save a lot of money. If you choose to go with the “Secret Santa” style, you will only have to buy a gift for one person. Think how good that will be for your budget. Plus, Christmas presents, are not about spending all the money you have; they are about putting some thought into the presents.

Vouchers

You might think that vouchers are not appropriate presents for Christmas but if you are on a tight budget them can be real budget savers.

Online Shopping

One of the best money savings tip, no matter the season, is to do your shopping online. You have a lot more possibilities, and you can compare prices without having to spend the whole day in a crowded shopping mall.

Outlet Mall

Get designer products at low prices; that way you can give your loved ones a beautiful present and not worry about spending all your Christmas budget on just one item.

Get some gifts after Christmas

If you have some family members of friends that you don’t have to see on Christmas Day buy their presents after Christmas. If you go with this approach, consider the strategy early, when planning the gifts and deciding the budget.

Money is always tight during the winter season; expenses are higher than usual, and saving some money on gifts can go a long way in helping you start the New Year debt free. You can always choose to skip giving presents this year but before taking a radical approach, try to come up with a strategy based on the advices above and you will surely be satisfied.