Communication Tips

Ten Commandments of Listening

Mastering the art of effective communication in today’s business climate is a challenge. In both leverage and strategic negotiations, supply-management professionals must be aware of both the intended and unintended signals being given to the other party.

One can become a better listener and negotiator by following the “Ten Commandments of Listening.” These are:

• Stop talking
• Create a comfortable environment for the speaker
• Show interest
• Remove distractions
• Empathize, seek to understand
• Show patience
• Avoid criticism
• Avoid arguing and anger
• Ask questions
• STOP TALKING

Empathetic Listening

Understanding someone is not the same as agreeing with him/her. This is a very powerful difference. Here are examples of the “do and don’ts” of good empathetic listening:

• Do
  • Listen with the eyes as well as the heart
  • Have a sincere desire to understand
  • Seek to understand before being understood
  • Be open and honest
• Don’t
  • Listen with the intent to reply
  • Project yourself

Communication pre-planning and preparation.

An individual who has a written framework of what he/she is trying to achieve specifically from a customer or supplier negotiation can visualize how the conversation might flow back and forth. Verbal statements should be positioned carefully or deliberately to evoke emotional or logical thoughts. It allows the person across the table to understand that this meeting is of a great importance to the other party. Non-verbal methods such as body language and eye movement can be just as effective if used to express any number of a wide range of reactions to information such as approval, understanding, confusion, excitement, indifference or disagreement.

Strategic Negotiations

The ability to move a supplier from a leverage position to a strategic relationship is not easy. It requires a thorough understanding of the relationship over time as well as the ability to know and listen to the supplier’s business needs. For strategic negotiations to be successful, both parties must be effective and solid communicators.

In conducting strategic negotiations, effective communications are just as essential, but the focus is different compared to tactical or short-term negotiations. In a strategic situation the relationship is expected to last for years, so sound communications are essential. Your goals in strategic negotiations will include:

• Building trust and showing integrity
• Clearly identifying your company’s needs
• Being open and encouraging the other party to be open
• Being willing to share information

By collaborating and building trust in the long-term buyer-supplier relationship, you gain the respect of the partner company and can work together effectively. As the collaboration continues the two companies can take advantage of the linkage between them. This is far different from a short term tactical negotiation that involves a one-time purchase and is over the minute an agreement is reached.