When negotiating something personal

Whether you are negotiating your salary, the interest rate on your bank loan or the price of a new car, you will constantly find yourself in situations where negotiations have a direct impact on you.

It is easy to think that it is in these moments that we sharpen our minds even more than usual to become the best negotiator we can be, right? WRONG.

Since it is "just" for you and there is no manager or other party judging your performance, many of us tend not to actually maximize our potential at the negotiating table.

But there is a very simple trick to get around this. Imagine instead that you are negotiating for someone close to you. A family member, friend or maybe even your dog. When we think this way, we tend to work even harder. We simply try harder when we imagine the effect a successful negotiation will have on our loved ones.