Being a good listener in a negotiation has several benefits. It helps to create trust and safety, which are essential for a real conversation. It allows you to identify the actual needs of your counterpart and makes them feel safe enough to talk about what they really want. Good listening also helps in developing emotional empathy. It can even enable you to anticipate what a speaker is about to say, as shown by a study at Princeton University. For instance, Oprah, in her daily TV show, was a master listener, able to get interviewees to talk about their deepest secrets.
Do you dread negotiations for fear of the conflict involved? The fact is that every aspect of our li...
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