We live in a new 'deal economy' where everybody needs to make deals in order to succeed. Yet negotiation skills are seldom taught or practised. This can mean people either lack confidence when they negotiate, or they negotiate from gut instinct - not really knowing why it has worked when a deal goes well, or what went wrong when a negotiation doesn't work out.

Maybe that's you? Sometimes people assume that negotiation is very easy and there is nothing they need to learn about it. This leaves people at risk of being left behind as the 'deal economy' gathers pace.

Technology is partly responsible for the increasing importance of deal-making skills. Technology has made the world a much smaller and more inter-connected place, so we all need deal-partners to help us reach a potentially much wider audience. Technology also enables everybody to compete in everyone else's space, so we all need deal partners to help us compete effectively. Technology also means that we have to respond quicker than ever to market opportunities before they disappear, so we all need deal-partners to help us execute at pace.

The most successful people at creating these deal-partnerships will be those who are the most effective negotiators. Do you have the key attributes of one of these individuals?

Do you have a command of the negotiating process and the seven different stages that any negotiation goes through? Do you know what stage you are at, at any particular time? Do you know what choices you have in setting a negotiating climate and why that is important? Do you know how to select the right behaviour for the right negotiating opponent - there are at least twelve different possible behaviours to choose from. Do you model your chosen behaviours effectively, making sure your voice and body match what you are saying? Do you always avoid negative behaviours such as aggression, or sarcasm, being condescending, or being passive or avoiding? Do you know how to identify and exploit bargaining power, even when the market is against you?

Are you adept at the tactics required for dealing with tough guys? Do you thoroughly prepare for negotiations? Do you never skip that stage because you don't have time? Are you effective at bidding and bargaining? Do you always ask for exactly what you want? Do you never give something away for nothing? Do you know how to close a deal even when the atmosphere is tense? Do you bring a positive attitude to the table, always believing you can win? Do you want the other side to win as well? Can you identify the negotiating needs of the other side and work with those needs (rather than against them) to secure an even greater win for yourself than you thought possible?

Effective negotiators will be able to answer yes to all of those questions. They know the importance of managing the three angles of successful negotiation - attitude, process and behaviour. They will be more equipped than anyone else to prosper in today's new deal economy. Still feel there is nothing more to learn about negotiation?

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