20 Effective Negotiation Strategies From Top Business Experts

Whether you're closing a major deal or navigating internal agreements, successful business negotiation calls for strategy, empathy and preparation. From listening more than you speak to framing deals around mutual gains, the most effective negotiators rely on proven techniques to build trust and drive win-win outcomes.

Below, 20 Forbes Business Development Council members share their go-to negotiation tactics and explain why they work. Their insights can help you navigate complex conversations, close better deals and build lasting business relationships.

1. Being Transparent And Value-Driven

Being transparent and value-driven in conversations builds trust quickly and becomes a collaborative dialogue. This happens especially in the public sector, where trust, value and efficiencies help streamline decision-making and create long-term partnerships, not just one-off wins. - Reddy Bollineni, 22nd Century Technologies, Inc.

2. Doing The Prework To Expand Mutual Value

It's all about the prework: making sure both parties are coming to the table to make the pie bigger so there's more to share for everyone. If it's a zero-sum game, it's not a negotiation. It's going to be a war, and you need to know that and change your tactics accordingly. - Kelly Leonard, The Second City

3. Negotiating Like A Chief Procurement Officer

You must negotiate like a chief procurement officer because that’s what you’re up against. This five-step process has served me well. You start by choosing your moment and knowing what's negotiable. Then, you make a trade, sweeten the deal and end in compromise (yes, sometimes it’s inevitable). Ultimately, objection handling and negotiation rely on the shared understanding of the value you will bring to a specific customer. - Julie Thomas, ValueSelling Associates

4. Quantifying And Sharing Customer Value

Understanding the value that your product drives for your customer over and above your competition is the most important factor. You should estimate a dollar value improvement that your customer will gain from using your product and build a negotiating strategy that prices at a point that fairly shares this value. Being accurate, credible and showing how they will realize the value will result in a win. - Doug Fuehne, Pricefx

5. Using Silence To Gain A Strategic Advantage

My go-to negotiation tactic is staying quiet after making an offer. Most people rush to fill the silence, but I’ve found that pausing gives the other side space to process, and often, they reveal more than they intended. It works because control in a negotiation often comes from listening, not talking. - Andrew Faridani, BreezeMaxWeb

6. Anchoring With Well-Informed Initial Offers

In my experience, anchoring with well-informed initial offers is the best practice. Anchoring works by setting expectations early, influencing the perception of subsequent proposals and helping secure favorable outcomes. It demonstrates confidence and clarity, establishing leverage from the outset. - Tomer Warschauer Nuni, PRIM3 Capital

7. Uncovering Hidden Needs Through Deep Listening

I try to understand what the other person really wants, not just what they say. Many times, their request is about something deeper—like a fear, deadline or worry. Once we talk about the real issue, we stop arguing and start solving. It works because when people feel understood or heard, they become flexible, and real alignment becomes possible. - Vipin Thomas, SparrowGenie

8. Focusing On Shared Wins To Build Trust

I focus on finding shared wins. By framing the conversation so both sides see how they benefit, you build trust and it makes agreement easier. People are more open when they feel their needs are understood and respected. - Max Avery, Digital Ascension Group

9. Leading With Value Instead Of Ego

When negotiating, leading with value rather than personal ego is essential. The goal should be to create a winning opportunity for both parties. To do that successfully, it's vital to listen and talk less so you can source the other party's pain points to build trust and spot the right ways to create a win-win situation. Trust will always close more deals faster than pressure ever will. - Wayne Elsey, The Funds2Orgs Group

10. Framing Proposals To Strategically Give And Gain Ground

When preparing the presentation, you should know where you are comfortable giving ground in your proposal and where you need to stand firm. This allows you to frame the negotiation at the onset to give ground where it is less beneficial and to protect "must-have" items in the discussion. Framing the presentation in the right way allows you to strategically give ground to get ground during the negotiation. - Mark Cerminaro, Rapid Finance

11. Aligning Interests With A Win-Win Mindset

I approach negotiations with a win-win mindset, not as a contest of wills. By aligning interests rather than opposing them, I build mutual respect and trust. This approach works as it accelerates decision-making, fosters lasting partnerships and ensures that a deal worth making is one both sides are proud of. True influence in negotiation is when opportunities follow you. - Praneeth Kudithipudi, Sacumen

12. Remaining Open To Prospects' Perspectives

You must listen as well as you lead. It's important to be confident in your expertise and communicate the value you offer, but don't forget to remain open to the perspectives, questions and even critiques that a prospect may bring to the table. The more intentionally you listen, the more you’ll truly understand their needs and the better suited you’ll be to identify exactly how you can help them overcome obstacles to success. - Susana Cabrera, Parsec Automation

13. Expanding The Pie To Create Mutual Value

One strategy is to expand the pie! Instead of focusing solely on what each party wants to take from the table, I look for ways to create additional value that can be shared. This tactic works because it shifts the negotiation from a zero-sum game to a collaborative effort. Mutual benefits and creative solutions are more likely to deliver satisfaction, leading to better outcomes for everyone involved. - Scotty Elliott, AmeriLife

14. Leading With Assumptions To Address Remaining Barriers

Once you have identified and addressed questions and concerns, lead in with an "assumed sales strategy." If there are any new concerns or roadblocks, you should isolate them from the previous ones and address them independently. Many times, sales and business development resources try to peel unwarranted objections, which unnecessarily create barriers in the minds of decision-makers and take them further away from the transition phase. - Mustansir Paliwala, Zomara Group

15. Asking Sharp Questions To Reveal Shared Wins

I recommend leading with curiosity. You should ask sharp questions to uncover what really matters to them. Then, you can frame the deal around shared wins. It works because people stay at the table when they feel heard and walk away with something that moves the needle. - Michael Fritsch, Smarter Operations

16. Offering Multiple Equivalent Proposals To Reveal Priorities

It's essential to present multiple equivalent offers simultaneously. By offering several packages with equal value to me but different configurations, I transform adversarial bargaining into collaborative solution-finding. This reveals the other party's true priorities while maintaining momentum, creating win-win outcomes that strengthen relationships. - Vivek Vishal, Honeywell

17. Negotiating With Empathy For Long-Term Gains

My go-to tactic is mutual gain. I treat negotiations as long-term relationship-building, not just deal-making. I aim for solutions that respect both sides’ goals. This approach builds trust, loyalty and repeat business. Negotiating with empathy, logic and fairness wins more in the long run than short-term power plays ever will. - Anna Jankowska, RTB House

18. Co-Creating Value By Negotiating With Purpose

My go-to philosophy is, "Negotiate with purpose, win with value." You must understand long-term client goals, co-create solutions to solve real pain points and shift the talk from cost to business impact. Also, you should be demonstrating skin in the game through leadership engagement or flexible models. When clients see you invested in their success, deals move fast. - Prashant Bansal, L&T Technology Services, Inc.

19. Letting The Other Party Speak First To Gain Insight

I let the other side talk first—people reveal more when they feel they’re leading. It’s not about being manipulative, but about creating space for honest exchange so both sides can make better, more informed decisions. - Bryce Welker, The CPA Exam Guy

20. Shaping Conversations Through Strategic Positioning

I negotiate through positioning, not pressure—shaping the conversation before it begins by influencing the right people, at the right moments and with the right message. By the time we’re at the table, the deal feels inevitable. Power in negotiation isn't control; it’s earned alignment that removes resistance before it starts. - Alexander Masters, MBA, BIDA, Siemens