Negotiation skills are some of the most powerful assets an attorney can have. Knowing how to negotiate business contracts can mean the difference between your company’s achieving favorable terms or having to put up with terms that you really don’t like.
There’s an art to negotiating – creating a balance between speaking aggressively and persuasively, while at the same time allowing the other party to feel like they have achieved some favorable terms, too. Here’s a closer look at some proven tactics to use when negotiating a business contract.
In the business world, negotiation skills are an absolute must. Even if you aren’t a skilled negotiator, you can benefit from the help of an experienced business lawyer when negotiating contracts.
What Are the Key Steps When It Comes to How to Negotiate Business Contracts?
There are some tested and true methods when it comes to how to negotiate business contracts, and the ability to execute these with nuance and skill is the true test of an experienced business contract attorney. These are some of the key steps for successfully negotiating business contracts.
Always Be Professional and Collaborative
Facilitating respectful dialogue and approaching negotiation as a creative, collaborative endeavor — and not a battle — can go a long way toward securing the result you want.
Outline Your Goals First
Before you even start negotiating, take stock of your goals and make sure these are central to your negotiation strategy. It’s easy to get lost in the details when negotiating, so it may be worth writing down your goals.
Size Up the Other Party
Try to get a solid understanding of the other party before beginning negotiations. Find out what they would consider a successful, or at least acceptable, outcome.
Be Proactive
Anticipate the other party’s next move and have a strategic response. Being able to think on your feet is an important skill for any negotiator to have.
Make Sure All Language Is Precise
If your contract does not have very clear, precise language, you run the risk of experiencing contract disputes later on.
Look for Win-Win Situations
Your ultimate goal when negotiating a contract should be coming up with a final result that makes both parties feel successful.
Not every negotiator can achieve each of these steps, especially if they are inexperienced. However, if you want to maximize your chances of success, consider hiring an experienced attorney to handle negotiations for you. This is when Mr. Weisblatt’s years of experience and skill become important. Because he is trained as a business attorney and works exclusively with business clients, he possesses deep knowledge about how to negotiate business contracts.
To learn more about how attorney Andrew Weisblatt can effectively and successfully negotiate contracts on your behalf, please call him at (713) 666-1981. He would welcome a conversation with you about how he can meet your legal needs.
What Is Attorney Andrew Weisblatt’s Background in Negotiating Business Contracts?
If you read Mr. Weisblatt’s attorney bio, you can quickly see why he is such a successful negotiator. Mr. Weisblatt earned his J.D. from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. After initially practicing with Alvin M. Rosenthal, one of the great lawyers in Houston’s history, Mr. Weisblatt took over the firm and grew it from a two-lawyer shop to about 20 attorneys and staff.
From there, he became in-house counsel and chief operating officer for a multinational corporation in the steel products industry. That in-house position provided valuable insight into how businesses work and what they need from their lawyers – both in-house and outside counsel. In 2009, Mr. Weisblatt founded the Weisblatt Law Firm and has led that firm to success. As an attorney heading up a specialized law firm, he focuses on providing a few businesses with premium client service and sophisticated legal guidance. Mr. Weisblatt has used his extensive experience in how to negotiate business contracts in ways that significantly benefit his clients.
What Are Things to Avoid When Negotiating Business Contracts?
To achieve success in negotiating business contracts, a good attorney knows that there are things to stay away from. Here are just a few:
- Never show up for negotiations unprepared. Doing so means the other party has the upper hand from the start.
- Don’t grind the other party into the ground and leave them with an onerous contract. Remember, your business has to work with this party after the contract is signed, so you don’t want to have a relationship that is based on resentment and humiliation.
- Don’t give up key goals just because you’re in a hurry to get a contract signed.
- Don’t drag your feet and be slow to respond to the other party.
- Expect your attorney to keep your informed, communicating clearly and often.
By avoiding these missteps, a skilled business attorney increases the chance of successfully negotiating a contract that favors their client.
Contact a Skilled Business Attorney Today
You Don’t Have to Negotiate Business Contracts Alone
To achieve success in negotiating business contracts, choosing the right attorney can make all the difference. An attorney who has served as both in-house counsel and in private practice will always have an edge. There is no substitute for working inside a company when it comes to understanding how businesses operate and what makes them successful. Mr. Weisblatt becomes an integral part of the executive team when representing his clients, and he focuses on providing exceptional legal guidance as well as negotiation skills.
To learn more about how Mr. Weisblatt can help achieve your business goals, call him at (713) 666-1981 for an initial consultation. He welcomes new business clients and is ready to serve.
Attorney Andrew Weisblatt
Mr. Weisblatt has practiced continuously since becoming licensed in 1992 and has represented businesses ranging in size from one person start-up ventures to multi-national corporations employing hundreds of people in multiple countries. From 2005 through 2009 Mr. Weisblatt was in-house counsel and chief operating officer of a multi-national corporation in the steel products industry. That in-house position provided valuable insight into how businesses work and what they actually need from their lawyers – both in-house and outside counsel. Attorney Bio
