Get up and trade like a man!

Sorry Star Trek fans, there is no such thing as Mr. Spock. The idea of ​​dealing with someone who is unemotional and only makes decisions based on logic is very science fiction.

Don’t be fooled by the title of the article, what I mean is to trade like a human being.

Whether we like to admit it or not, we all make decisions based more on emotion than logic. It is well known that we make decisions emotionally and then try to justify them intellectually after the decision. “The new car I bought has excellent gas mileage and the interest rate on the financing was at the lowest point of the year.”

Actually, we know that the car was bought for many other reasons, mostly related to how the buyer imagined they would feel after owning the new car.

So if people buy based on emotions, does it make sense to trade based on logic alone? Of course not. If you try to appear professional, direct, and unemotional, you’ll soon find that people don’t like dealing with you.

People like people. People like to deal with those who they feel have “human” qualities. Be realistic, approachable, friendly, and interesting. Also, be interested in the human qualities of the person with whom you are negotiating.

It’s much easier to take a difficult position against a negotiating opponent you don’t like. But, if you play nice, you can gain an advantage. However, it has to be genuine, and not just a bargaining tactic.

The fastest way to become likable is to show interest in the other person. Find out a few things about them, ask them questions, and show that you have something in common. From this common ground, you will be able to work more quickly toward a successful negotiation.

Some people think that the higher you go in an organization, the less human people become. Surely the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company is above this idea of ​​humanity and emotion, right? Mistaken. Through all my interviews and conversations with leaders in business and marketing, I have found that the higher you go up the ladder, the more human people become.

So don’t try to waste your time developing a faceless, logical-only negotiating personality. Become human and you will gain an advantage in your dealings with other humans.