Negotiation success often hinges not only on what you say, but also on the quality of your questions. By preparing thoughtful, open-ended questions, you can extract more valuable information and improve your negotiation outcomes. Here’s how.
 
Plan ahead. Before your next negotiation, prepare three to five open-ended questions to uncover crucial insights about your counterpart’s needs and constraints. Questions like “Why is this important to you?” or “What’s your biggest challenge right now?” can go a long way.
 
Reframe closed questions. Got a habit of asking yes/no questions? Flip them into open-ended ones. Instead of, “Is this your final offer?” ask, “What factors are influencing your final offer?” This approach leads to richer answers. Then, use these more informative responses to craft compelling counter-proposals.
 
Build rapport while you ask questions. Asking questions is great, but don’t forget to foster a connection. Balancing your “why,” “what,” and “how” questions helps you gather information while maintaining a strong relationship, increasing the likelihood of favorable outcomes.
This tip is adapted from “The Most Effective Negotiation Tactic, According to AI,” by Matteo Di Stasi et al.
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