Have you ever dreamed about becoming a talk show host/TV presenter? As you may have guessed, successfully developing a career in television is dependent on a combination of factors and it will rarely happen overnight. If you are truly motivated, however, and willing to put in the time to grow your skills and build a network of contacts within the industry, you will almost certainly reach your goal. This article will outline some of the key points to consider for you to start working towards your dream career of becoming a talk show host/TV presenter.

One of the advantages of becoming a TV host/presenter is that it doesn’t require any formal education. Depending on where you’re from, you may have noticed several courses that charge varying amounts – though, usually quite large – for this form of training. Ultimately, no course will guarantee you a career placement, and though it may look good on the CV, this is not going to be the determining factor in securing an audition or interview.

Successfully becoming a TV host/presenter is largely about having the right personality. There are not set guidelines for age or appearance, as there are literally thousands of TV networks around the globe and each are likely to be looking for someone that fits the unique requirements of their show. Producers will usually focus on a person’s confidence and energy as being of a higher importance. People who become successful presenters are also naturals at interacting with others and are not afraid to take part in activities, even at the risk of some minor humiliation in the process.

The path to becoming a host/presenter is largely amount of gaining practical experience and using this to put together a show reel. This can be as simple as talking on camera about your favourite bar or travel destination for about five minutes if your video makes it into the hands of the right producer. More commonly though, aspiring presenters start by doing volunteer work for community TV stations, and this can provide the benefit of some professional work samples as well as some small amount of exposure.

This can quickly evolve into paying work, as more and more of the right people begin to notice your talents. The secret to getting to this stage is to continue to develop your skills, and this can involve a combination of gaining confidence by speaking at public events or practicing journalism techniques before you’re able to get an audition. All of this will allow you to give more to a potential employer, which will result in many more job offers that can eventually develop into a full-time career.

Making a presentation in front of international audiences is not for the fainthearted, they say.

They say that people from different cultural backgrounds with varying language skills are definitely more challenging than a homogeneous local audience. Are international audiences any different from local audiences? From a biological point of view, there are almost no differences as all humans behave similarly in response to basic stimuli like hunger and heat. The differences become crucial when one considers cultural conditioning.

Let us take the classical example quoted in many places. If the world were a village of 1,000 people, it would include: 584 Asians, 124 Africans, 95 Europeans, 84 Latin Americans, 52 North Americans, six Australians and New Zealanders, and 55 people from the former Soviet republics. They would speak more than 200 languages and reflect an astounding mix of different cultures. Fortunately, you would most likely never get such a mixed audience. Remember, what works in one culture doesn’t always work in another. How can you make your presentation a success among people from different parts of the world?

Factors Affecting Audience Behavior

Many factors influence audience behavior e.g., culture, profession, gender, age, reason for being in the audience, state of mind, time of day and year and general mood. In fact every audience is unique. An audience of insurance salesmen in Germany is very different from an audience of German chemical engineers. So whenever a typical behavior is associated with certain nation states, you have to be extremely careful with these stereotypes.

Language Barrier

The language barrier plays a very important role, both for the speaker and the listeners. Many people in your international audience actually have jumped over large chasms of language and cultural divides in order to be there in that very audience listening to you. “Can I understand everything that is spoken there as they are speaking in English and my English is very bad?” or “What if someone asks me a question and I can’t answer it in French in this seminar held in France?” These are typical fears that many people have overcome before they turned up in the international gathering.

In mixed audiences the language used is bound to be a foreign tongue for someone, if not for the speaker. Deficient language skills might considerably limit their ability to grasp much of the presentation and they have no way of dealing with that frustration with themselves. The fear of losing face in front of other people is very common, more so in Asian cultures. Many people think in their mother tongue and speak with the help of simultaneous translation. Many ideas are very challenging to be put into another language. So the task of the presenter is to make sure that central ideas come across easily and even to people who are not natives to the language of presentation.

Culture Affects Presentation Styles

Culture influences how people in different countries prefer to receive information. How interactive a presentation is, depends much on the culture. Typically English speaking cultures like presentations to be lively and interactive. Paradoxically there are similarities among Far Eastern, Slavic and protestant cultures like Germany and Finland. There presentations are formal and there are few interruptions. Questions are answered either when the presentation ends or quickly as they arise.

Many Europeans, particularly Scandinavians and Germans prefer to receive information in detail, with lots of supporting documentation. They want their presenters to be systematic and build to a clear point within their presentation. The Japanese business audiences, where senior managers are more likely to hold technical or management degrees are very similar. American and Canadian audiences, on the other hand, like a faster pace. Many Asian and Latin cultures prefer presentations with emotional appeal.

Different cultures gather and process information differently, in a way that is unique to that culture. We assume that speaking Spanish is a safe option in all countries where Spanish is spoken, but Hispanic employees from different countries even have different words for the same thing, and this can create conflict. Sometimes logic or reason can evade us. For example, there is no concept of guilt in some Eastern cultures. There is no Heaven or Hell, but there may be karma and shame. The Chinese are very strict about Mianxi, not losing face. When a Chinese person doesn’t understand something due to language problems, she still says, “Yes, yes it is clear.” People from a western background often have difficulties understanding this.

Humour in Presentations Presenters use humor skilfully to relax the atmosphere. Another very powerful tool is telling personal anecdotes which reveal humaneness connecting the speaker with members of the audience. There must be a relevance to the topic or theme, as speakers who talk very much about themselves are often considered self-centered and even tiresome.

The response to humour varies greatly across different cultures. Humor based on making fun of someone else is not understood in many areas of the world and is considered disrespectful. In some cultures like Japan, laughing aloud is a sign of nervousness and is not appreciated.

How audiences respond to presentations varies across cultures. In Japan, for example, it’s common to show concentration and attentiveness by nodding the head up and down slightly-and even closing the eyes occasionally. Don’t think that they are falling asleep. In Germany and Austria, for example, listeners seated around a table may show their approval by knocking on the table instead of applauding. Applause is accepted as a form of approval in most areas of the world but in the U.S, you might even get a few whistles if you have really made a great impression. If you hear whistles in many parts of Europe, you had better run because someone might start throwing tomatoes and eggs next. If you were finishing a speaking engagement in a Latin American country like Argentina and you waved goodbye, the audience might all turn around and come back to sit down. For them the waving gesture means, “Come back! Don’t go away.”

Handling Questions in Different Cultures

Ways of handling questions are very different across cultures. Brits or Americans almost always ask challenging questions. In Finland or in some Asian cultures, audiences are more likely to greet a presentation with silence or just a few polite questions. This is not always indifference but a show of respect.

As a presenter, you should have a clear goal of what you want to accomplish and how you will accomplish it. The goal should be easy to understand – even to someone outside of your organization or industry. If you can’t summarize your message, how can the listeners? When the audience is international, you’ll need to step out of your own frame of reference and focus on making communication relevant for your target group. The aim is to “localize.” By focusing on the audiences’ own frames of reference, you acknowledge their importance and pave the way for them to come closer to you. If for example, you are using a metaphor about snow blizzards and sleet to sub-Saharan people, they might not get your point, as they have no experience of snow blizzards.

The most vital thing to remember is that each and every member in your international audience is a fellow human being. If they feel treated well and get something for being there, they will appreciate your efforts and you will also succeed in your presentation.

Enjoy your success! Good luck.

If you are looking for Christmas presents for girlfriends then read on to find out about the special gift ideas we have. Whether you are looking for something romantic or something more practical, we have a great range of Christmas presents.

If you want to surprise your girlfriend with something fun and sexy then take a look at our Kama Sutra range of gifts. All beautifully packaged, these original gift ideas are something that you can enjoy too. The Bedside Box is a popular choice. It includes Oil of Love, French Vanilla Body Souffle, Love Liquid water-based Sensual Lubricant, Sweet Honeysuckle Honey Dust and a feather applicator. It is presented in a stunning elegant wooden box which would not look out of place in any girls bedroom.

Another great Christmas presents for girlfriend idea is 52 Weeks of Romance. This fab little set includes fifty two cards which all have different romantic games and ideas on them. There are love notes, coupons to be redeemed at the recipients request, scratch and reveal cards, romantic IOUs, sexy ideas and lots more. A fun gift that can keep you both smiling long after Christmas has passed.

If you want to start searching for Christmas presents for girlfriends then look no further for all your present buying needs. If you are after something romantic and a bit different from the norm then have a look at these brilliant girlfriend gift ideas.

If you are looking for a sexy and fun present for your girlfriend then we recommend something from the Kama Sutra range. These original gift ideas are beautifully packaged and something that you can enjoy too.The Bedside Box is a favourite amongst our customers. The set contains Sweet Honeysuckle Honey Dust and a feather applicator, French Vanilla Body Souffle, Oil of Love and Love Liquid water-based Sensual Lubricant. It is packed in a gorgeous wooden box that she can keep on her bedside table.

Another Christmas presents for girlfriend idea is 52 Weeks of Naughty Nights – a great little gift that contains fifty two instruction cards which all have different romantic games and ideas on them. They include scratch and reveal cards, love coupons, love notes, romantic IOUs, sexy games and plenty more. A brilliant gift that can keep you both happy long after Christmas has passed.

We have an amazing selection of Christmas gifts for her. Whether you are searching for the perfect gift for your wife, your Mum, your Gran or your sister, we have something here to suit every lady in your life. From sexy fun gifts for your other half to practical presents for Mum, we have a fab selection available.

If you are looking for something for a friend or your sister then what about our range of Christopher Vine mugs. You can choose between The Cup Cake Mug, The Pink Shoe Mug, The Shoe Mug or The Love Mug. Each mug comes in its own presentation box which depicts the design on the mug. This is a fab gift and one our customers love!

Another great Christmas gifts for her idea is a gorgeous piece of jewellery. All women love jewellery so these presents would suit any of the ladies in your life. Why not take a look at the beautiful Silver Heart Chime Necklace which makes a gentle musical sound when shaken. This lovely necklace is said to promote relaxation and calmness. It is presented in an elegant gift box and comes from renowned designers Tales from the Earth.

We have a fantastic range of Christmas gifts for her. If you are looking for the ideal present for your girlfriend, your sister, your Aunt, your Mum, your Gran, a colleague, your wife or your friend, you will be able to find something here for any woman. From gardening gifts for Gran to thoughtful love tokens for your wife, we have a great selection available.

Any woman will love our collection of Christopher Vine designer mugs. Choose between The Cup Cake Mug, The Pink Shoe Mug, The Shoe Mug or The Love Mug. Each mug is presented in its own special gift box which shows the design of the mug inside. This is a gorgeous present that is very popular amongst our customers.

Another fab Christmas gifts for her suggestion is a piece of beautiful silver jewellery. Ideal for Mums, wives and girlfriends, Grans and friends – all women love jewellery. Have a look at the beautiful Silver Heart Chime Necklace which chimes gently when shaken. This stunning necklace helps you relax and stay calm. It comes in a gorgeous gift box and comes to us from contemporary jewellery designers Tales from the Earth.

Mastering the art of presentation requires both practice and, importantly, rehearsal. It’s true that a touch of anxiety makes for a better performance but too much anxiety has the opposite effect. When we are over-anxious about our presentation the raw emotion that makes for a successful presentation performance is replaced by a faltering, unstructured and disorganized speech. Preparation and rehearsal are vital when we need to manage this mix of emotion. These 5 effective rehearsal techniques will boost our performance when we present.

1. Sit down and read silently. We should typeset and format our presentation as if we intended to read it to our audience. We start each sentence on a new line and we format with double line spacing. Our choice of typeface and font should be for legibility and not style — and we use upper case characters only for the beginning of sentences, proper names and points needing emphasis. Our aim is to read through the presentation getting to grips with the sense of the piece, its structure and meaning.
2. Sit down and read aloud. Once we have read through our presentation or PowerPoint deck several times we are ready to read aloud. Reading aloud is a vital memory enforcer helping us to visualize and memorize key points within the presentation. Note that we are not looking to memorize the speech in its entirety — we are aiming for familiarity with its content.
3. Stand up and read aloud. Once we have read through our presentation several times it’s good practice to do so standing up. When we stand up we can apply emphasis to those passages of the speech that require special attention. We can speak up where appropriate and single out key words with extra intonation. At this stage we should look out for words or word combinations that are difficult to pronounce. where pronunciation is tricky we should consider editing the offending passage. We also look out for long sentences that do nothing for our breathing routine. Cut them down in size. We must think of our effective pauses.
4. Stand up, read aloud and move. With these key tasks completed we can now practise our presentation aloud — moving around. We should walk around and move our arms — pointing for extra emphasis perhaps. We should move our head adjusting our gaze to establish eye contact with an audience as we make each decisive point. With a mirror we can build a sense of our own mobility and speaking presence.
5. Record our presentation. Our last rehearsal step is to prepare an audio recording of ourselves. Our target is to prepare a recording that we can listen to when travelling to and from work or during a quiet moment at home or the ball game. Again, we are not looking for memorization but familiarization. And with familiarity goes confidence.

These 5 simple steps enable us to prepare and rehearse our presentations to perfection. We manage our anxiety, we control our nerves and we become more comfortable with the material that we intend to present — boosting our performance.

So you’re beginning your presentation with a new prospect. They’re excited to be there, you’re excited to be presenting to them. Let me share something with you that you learn over time. The person that is sitting in front of you has about 15 other people with them. Let me explain.

It doesn’t matter who you’re speaking to, there are always people in their mind that agree with what they’re doing, and disagree with what they’re doing. Think about it for just a second, have you ever had a voice in your head pop up and say “you don’t need to be doing this”? the answer to that question is yes you have, we all have.

So the key to productive presentations. and I say the word “productive” because there’s a lot of people who give presentations and don’t produce the results they want. So what I’m helping you to understand is how to create productive presentations.

Presentation 1

Make the presentation as easy as possible for your prospect to say yes to.

What do I mean by that? In order for the prospect to say yes to what you’re presenting, they need to find reasons to agree with you, to agree with what they want to do. The reality is it has to fit into their lifestyle, into their current state of mind. So in order to find out their current state of mind, why not ask them.

How do you do that? When you sit down with them you asked him a simple question.

So now that we’re here today, and were going to spend some time together, let me ask you why are you here? And wait for an answer.

It’s in this answer that you will begin to understand where they’re at. Your kind of asking them for directions on how to get to their place of success.

So in order to find out how to give them directions from point a to point B, you need to find out where point A is. Doesn’t that make sense?

Now the challenge sometimes is, they are not sure where they’re at either. So as they begin to describe why there at the meeting with you, be listening for landmarks. Those things that they want to achieve, little goals that they have, may be some dreams that they have, the key is listening to what they want.

Presentation 2

With this one, you have to present to all of the naysayers. These are all the voices in their head that say they can’t do it, they’re no good at it, they don’t know what they’re doing.

If you understand that everyone has doubt in their mind, and it’s not always placed in their mind by themselves, you will begin to understand how to make your presentations easier to listen to.

If you are standing up there, or sitting across the table from them and telling them they can do this. There are many people in their mind who say they can’t be successful, they can’t reach their goals, they can’t have what they want. Now that you know those voices are in their head, you can learn how to speak to them without creating an argument with them. Them being those voices in their head

Presentation 3

This presentation happens throughout the entire conversation with the prospect. This third presentation, is the one that presents to their dreamer inside them. Your prospect is always listening for the benefits that will come from making the decision to join you. Your prospect is listening for the opportunities to see how they can grow, and reach their goals to become better at what they want to become better at. So as you’re making presentations 1, and presentations 2 it’s important to understand that you weave in the pictures of success how they can achieve it, and what they will feel like when they do.

So there is a brief idea on three presentations that need to happen during your pitch. As you can see, all three presentations happen through out the conversation. It’s not this presentation first than this one second and this one third. The key to understand is that at you need to listen to what your prospect is saying to you, so you know who you’re presenting to.

I hope this brings you value, if it does leave a comment, share it on Facebook, or wherever you think would be of value. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me my information is in the box below.

Hugs from Dallas.

Sean G Murphy

Now day’s people have found financial settlement a very good technique to eliminate their loans. However, arbitration in such cases is not an easy task. Many people think that settlement firms are non-profit organizations so it better that they negotiate with their creditors themselves. In this way they will be able to save more money. While this seems to be a very good idea but what count is the result. A negotiation has to be effective for achieving results that a person can use in his favor. So the most important thing that a borrower should consider is that how much relief he would get if he negotiated with the creditors himself?

Although a settlement firm charges fees for their service, but it is only 10% of the reduced amount. It is not worth the reduction that a settlement deal gets? It can make up to 60% reduction for the borrower making it a lot easier for him to become liability free as he would only have to pay remaining 40% as a total amount owed. Debt negotiation is a success if it is handled by the settlement firm. A good settlement firm with a several years of experience can easily convince the creditors to provide a waiver to the borrowers. The employees of a settlement firm know all the tactics on handling the creditors. They have also established relations with the creditors so they have understandings between them.

On other hand, if the arbitration is handled by a borrower himself, there are very less chances that he will even get a waiver. There are many people who want to attempt self-negotiation but they need to understand that only a little knowledge is not enough to negotiate with these big financial companies. Many of them will flatly say that their companies never ever settle. This is totally false, all creditors settle but to convince them you need a professional negotiator. Creditors prefer to negotiate with someone who is very professional rather than talking to an individual. It happens in very rare cases that people get reduction from the creditors by self-negotiation but the reduction is just of 20 to 30 percent which is not at all enough.

That is why it is said to hire a settlement firm that will do this job more perfectly. A legitimate debt settlement company will take over all of debt related issues from talking to the creditors to making monthly or lump sum payment to them. They will free an individual from all the tension caused due to debt in their lives.

Most people are looking for easy ways to abolish their debt. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to this problem and debt elimination scams dupe many people. These scams state that the consumers are under no obligation to repay their debts because creditors charge illegal credit rates. Eventually, these scammers disappear with the money and consumers are still responsible for repaying creditors. Debt consolidation and debt negotiation are two methods that are available for debt assistance. These two options are used for solving debt and credit problems.

If bills and other heavy payments are bogging you down, debt consolidation and debt negotiation are the solutions to your problem. Debt consolidation negotiators help consolidate a bill into one monthly payment, while debt negotiators work to get the bill reduced. It is up to the consumer or customer to chose between the two options to help eliminate debt and credit problems. The consumer must also decide whether he or she can afford such services and must consider what the ultimate outcome will be. Most consolidation companies offer both the services. This subject has been a matter of debate, as both these services provide an opportunity for financial freedom.

Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation provides new, lower monthly payments, making life less stressful for the customer. There are two types of debt consolidation. One method involves obtaining a loan to pay off other loans and debts. The other method involves working with a debt management program.

Most debt consolidation services have debt repayment agreements with most credit card companies. Debt consolidation companies offer lower monthly payments based on low rates of interest. This is the best way to consolidate debt because the payment here is lower than what the credit card companies offer. The disadvantage to such a plan remains in the fact that all credit cards included in the program have to be cancelled. These services charge payment and an additional monthly administration fee. The administration fee can be anywhere between $10 to $50.

Debt Negotiation

Debt negotiation is also called debt settlement. Debt settlement is ideal when the debt amount is tremendously high and bankruptcy is just around the corner. People who can’t make the minimum payments of a debt consolidation program turn towards debt negotiation. Debt negotiation is the next step to solving debt and credit related problems. A debt negotiation program helps lower the credit score. However, this method is not encouraged and may prove to be damaging for the credit history. As attractive as this method sounds, it should be used as a last resort. Negotiation involves bargaining with creditors for a smaller or reduced payoff amount. The most important factor of a debt negotiation program is that payments made to the creditors can be stopped. The company takes the monthly payments and keeps it in a separate account. While making the payments, the company negotiates with the creditors for a lower payoff of about 40-50% of the total debt amount. Once the settlement had been made, the debt negotiation company makes a one-time payment to the creditors. Some companies provide a credit repair service that repairs all the negative items caused by the company. This is an additional service and must be paid for.

AND YOU THOUGHT THEY WERE GOOD….

It is always interesting to take a look at some of the ways negotiators go about their business. Before reading through some of the content that follows, it is important to note that it is regarded as of the utmost importance to use all methods of persuasion honestly and not with the sole purpose of benefiting yourself at the cost of others.

It is important to use all methods of persuasion and influence ethically. The use of these methods should create something of value to both sides in any interaction.

1. The Trade Off

Sales Person: “Those letter heads that you wanted to be delivered by the 20th, unfortunately we’ve had a problem. They will not be ready before the 30th. I’m very sorry, but I have done everything possible. I hope this is OK?”

The average consumer is likely to accept an excuse from a service provider. On the other hand, a skilled negotiator will see this as another moment of power to negotiate a concession. It stops a further process of “grinding down”.

Manager: “Well, that will pose a problem for me. We have a tight deadline. I’ll have to see what I can do to push out those deadlines or to find a work around. If I am able to come up with a work around, what will you do to ease my pain?”

Sales Person: “I don’t know.What if we run an extra 1000 copies at no cost?” (This “promise” could also be banked for future use).

2. Funny Money

Sales Person: “You’ve made a brilliant decision. Congratulations! I’ll write up the lease. By the way, before I do, do you know that for a mere £3 per day you could get the deluxe model. It’s really worth it. What do you think?”

Be careful of this one. You are about to spend thousands of pounds more than you intended. Negotiating with funny money works!

3. The Walk Away

Once a negotiator has decided that he or she absolutely must have something, a big erosion of power takes place. Know this, there are no once-in-a-lifetime deals. Do not become so emotionally involved that you cannot walk away. You only have real power if you are prepared to walk away.

4. Delaying & Stalling

When the other party deliberately uses delaying tactics you should not focus on the behaviour, but rather on the intention behind stalling. Do they want to wear you down to make you give up or become more flexible? Stay emotionally detached and make sure you do not have a deadline, especially not a self-imposed one. Counter this tactic by telling the other party you know what they are doing and that it will not work. You could also consider giving them a deadline that is well within the ultimate deadline you might have.

5. The Pre-Condition

This is where a negotiator obtains concessions for merely consenting to negotiate.

Purchaser: “If you give me the sole right to market your product we can talk, but only then.”

The unskilled negotiator may easily fall into the trap of limiting their options even before the negotiations start. Such a concession belongs in the bartering phase where a counter concession can be asked. Counter this by setting aside this issue for a while and just continuing with the negotiation.

6. Personal Attacks

Personal attacks are often a deliberate tactic to throw you off balance or to make you emotional. Watch out! Remain emotionally detached and recognise it as a tactic. Interrupt the pattern by smiling. Keep people and issues and people and their behaviour apart. You could also respond by reminding the other party that you together framed the negotiation as “agree-to-agree” and working towards a win more/win more outcome.

7. The Withdrawn Offer

This tactic can be used at any time in the negotiation, especially when the other party is deploying the walk away tactic. It involves a bluff by suggesting or threatening to take away agreements that have already been made. “I’m sorry, but my sales manager has just informed me that I misquoted the price. It is far too low. I’ll have to withdraw the offer.”

This could often result in a response such as this: “I’m sorry, it’s too late! We are accepting your offer!” The other party then reluctantly lets the item go. This results in one party feeling that they have secured a good deal. A good counter to this tactic is to walk away and test the validity thereof.

****To learn about the other 18 tactics that are available to you, see my article entitled “Did You Know: Negotiation is Pursuasion” on this website. OR EMAIL ME FOR FREE***

Understanding the Chinese business negotiation style can help you to carry out all the business processes with your Chinese counterparts successfully. If you are not familiar with the negotiation, then you may have to face an extremely hard time, and you may feel, at times, that the negotiations are not going anywhere. The key to the successful negotiations is the sufficient preparation. Most of the businessmen feel that preparing for negotiations is one of the hardest things to do, such as, overcoming the language barriers. Precisely this mentality prevents them from grabbing some of the biggest opportunities that this part of the world has to offer. When we talk of learning Chinese business negotiation style, we are not talking about learning Chinese, but we are talking about learning their body language and mannerisms, which are so essential to carry out the conversations successfully. This approach will not help you to make the deal successfully, but it can also lead to lifelong partnerships.

If you have made up your mind to learn Chinese business negotiation style, then the first thing you need to remember is that even in china you will find some significant differences in the negotiation styles so you have to pick those styles that are used in the majority of business processes. Let’s have a look at some of the typical Chinese traits that you may have to encounter in your next negotiation meeting.

Chinese negotiators take time to trust you: Many businessmen, when dealing with Chinese negotiators, regularly complain that their first meeting was rather cold, and there was no definite conclusion in sight. The foreign negotiators often take this as a clue for disagreement and break the deal. However, that’s the style of negotiation; they take time to trust you. In the initial meetings they simply avoid your offers. They also do this to examine your seriousness for the deal. Therefore, Show them what they want, propose the same deal in a different style and you would be amazed to notice that your Chinese counterparts are not only listening to you, but they are also making their contributions to the deal.

How to make them agree on the right price: Chinese businessmen are extremely strict on prices. Although, in the beginning, they would make the commitment slash their prices to a certain extent, but these prices are not the right prices for the products as they are highly inflated. Therefore, it’s best to check the price from elsewhere and stick to the deal. This is common in Chinese business negotiation style, and finally they would certainly agree on your price albeit with some adjustments.

Look at the deal completely: Chinese negotiators have the habit of praising just the good parts of their products and neglecting the negative aspects of their presentations. This is an old Chinese business negotiation style. Therefore, you should be attentive enough at the presentations to point out various shortcomings in their products. This will help you in turning the deal in your favour. Don’t let their mindboggling terms fool you and remain calm and relaxed, and listen to each and every detail with open eyes and ears.

Follow these straightforward negotiation tips, though initially it takes time get used to them, but soon you would be amazed to look at the difference that these tips make in your negotiations with Chinese businessmen.

Have you ever forgotten to negotiate against the ‘hidden man‘, the person with whom the power resided that was not at the negotiation table? Instead, you negotiated against the person you thought was ‘in charge’ and discovered he wasn’t.

Negotiation Tip: Some people negotiate with multiple people on their team as a strategy. They send the first person in to ‘feel out’ the other negotiator. After the first negotiator has gained insight into the strategy of his opponent and worn him down, the more seasoned negotiator takes over.

The following information highlights how you can uncover the ‘hidden man’, test the authority of the other negotiator, and assess his power.

Negotiation Authority:
Find out early in the negotiation the level of authority the other negotiator has. That means knowing what he has the authority to ‘sign off’ on. Also, make sure you know with whom you’re negotiating. That means knowing all of the players that are involved. That could consist of those at the negotiation table and those that are not there, but have an interest in the outcome. The ‘real’ decision makers could be lurking in the background, unseen.

Test Authority:
To test the authority of the other negotiator, use ‘what if’ scenarios to discern the amount of authority she has. Do so by floating proposals that should appear to be beneficial and appealing to her. Gauge her response. If she’s hesitant to seize an offer that she should be readily accepting, that could be an indication that she does not have the level of authority she professes to possess.

You can also ask her if she has the authority to close the deal. If she says yes, ask her under what conditions. Her response and the manner by which she responds will give you additional insight to the level of authority she has. Consider other tactics you can employ to test her authority to close a deal. Just keep in mind that a good negotiator will always imply she has to refer to a higher authority when it comes to positions that may not be overly advantageous to the outcome she seeks. Thus, weigh her responses with that thought in mind.

Power:
Power is perceptional. Thus, the degree of power someone has is the amount of power you give them. Be careful and cautious as to the degree of undue, unnecessary, or undeserved power you give to anyone in a negotiation. If in your mind, you give someone too much power in a negotiation, you create a halo effect of them (i.e. think of them as someone at a higher level than reality dictates). This could cause you to acquiesce to their demands, which means you’ll readily make concessions that may not be deserved. In addition, don’t be fooled by the opulence that someone my project. Negotiations are nothing more the mind games and the projection of opulence could be part of the set in which you’re negotiating.

Once, I negotiated against what I thought was the ‘known’. In reality, I was negotiating against the ‘unknown’. At the end of the negotiation, I lost. This may have happened to you in the past. If you use the guideline above, it never has to happen again… and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!