Build a Rapport to Negotiate More Effectively

Negotiating isnt easy, and it takes a fair amount of social skills.

Getting to know the person youre negotiating with can make a big difference in closing a deal.

Over at LinkedIn, professor and negotiating expert Adam Grant citesa study published by the American Psychological Association.

Researchers instructed students negotiate over email.

People are more likely to come to an agreement with someone they know.

Grant explains that people generally follow the norm of reciprocity, meaning they respond to how theyre treated.

This sends a signal that youre trustworthy, and your fellow negotiator feels inclined to reciprocate.

Grant does warn that you should be selective about the information you share.

You dont want to give away info that could make you vulnerable, he says.

Thatsrelevantinfo that makes the negotiation vulnerable.