Page 88 - Part B

Information, Advice or Guidance

Negotiation is a bargaining (give and take) process between two or more parties (each
with their own aims, needs, and viewpoints), seeking to discover a common ground
and reach an agreement to settle a matter of mutual concern.

In our situation, this could be with a client directly, but is more likely to be with another
organisation on behalf of the client, once you have identified the client’s needs.
Negotiation is always about balance: ensuring that the client’s requirements are met
where at all possible, within the constraints of the organisation and advisor. The actual
background of your client, or the organisation you are trying to negotiate with, will
affect how you negotiate.

A key strategy for dealing with negotiation is as follows:

Confirm plan Understand
of action client
with client requirements

Return to the Speak

organisation and with the
discuss changed organisation
requirements concerned
Discuss outcome
with client
and identify
compromises

The first step in this process is to fully understand the client’s requirements. This is not
necessarily everything the client asks for, as they may have unrealistic expectations
or they may be unclear. This is where your strong questioning skills will enable you to
clearly identify the key requirements.

Once you have identified the client’s requirements, you need to approach the
organisation or service that best fits their needs and explain what the client is looking
for. It is important that you gain an understanding from the organisation at this stage
that is realistic and available.

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