Get up and trade like a man!

Sorry, Star Trek fans, there is no Mr. Spock. The idea of ​​dealing with someone devoid of emotions and only making decisions based on logic is very science fiction.

Don’t be fooled by the title of the article, what I mean is 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.”

In reality, we know that the car was purchased for many other reasons, mainly related to how the buyer imagined they would feel after owning the new car.

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

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

It is much easier to take a difficult position against a negotiating opponent you don’t like. But, if you make yourself likeable, you can gain an advantage. However, it has to be genuine, and not just a negotiating ploy.

The quickest way to become likeable 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 towards 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-million dollar company is above this idea of ​​humanity and emotion, right? Wrong. Through all of my interviews and conversations with business and marketing leaders, I’ve found that the higher you go on the ladder, the more human people become.

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