When you look back at your financial transactions over the last few months, did you really get the best deal or are you leaving money on the table? This could be something small like your most recent mobile phone contract or it could be something more substantial like buying a car or receiving a job offer. In almost every area of life, we are in a negotiation of some sort whether we know it or not.
We see one instance of negotiation in the Bible in the parable of the Unjust Steward in Luke 16: 1 -8 (ESV):
He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 5 So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
In this parable, we see that the Unjust Steward knows that his future employment prospects depend on him establishing a strong network by negotiating satisfactory agreements for the debts owed to his master. His master commends him for his shrewdness (being smart or clever) and I believe we can add a bit of this shrewdness to each of our lives – while being honest stewards of course!
Why Should You Negotiate?
In life, our resources can be divided into three categories: our time, our treasure, and our talent. These resources are limited so to be effective stewards we need to maximise their value.
When Should You Negotiate?
Whenever somebody requires one of these resources the negotiation has already begun, it’s just a question of how active a participant you choose to be. You should have the mindset that because your resources are valuable, there is always an opportunity to ensure you are fairly compensated.
Specific instances where you can negotiate include receiving a job offer, buying a car and renewing a mobile phone or broadband contract. These are just a few examples off the top of my head but I’m sure that you can think of many more.
How Should You Negotiate?
Getting an extensive knowledge of how to negotiate effectively is not something that can be covered entirely in this one post. There are a lot of great resources online that can provide you with the best strategy for the specific negotiation that you are about to encounter. However, there are some tips below that may help generally. I will use my most recent mobile phone contract renewal with Three as a real-life example to give each tip some colour.
Do Your Research
The more prepared you are for a negotiation, the more likely it is that you will secure a good deal. For example, if you are applying for a job, make sure you know what the market rate is for similar roles based on your experience. This allows you to provide objective data to justify your requested salary and should give you more confidence to ‘say it with your chest’ or boldly for non-millennials.
On my mobile phone contract with Three I was paying £20 per month. I looked online and saw that Giff Gaff were offering a similar deal for £10 per month. I was now armed with knowledge.
Don’t Accept the First Offer
In the majority of cases, you will find that the opening offer is just that, an opening offer or an invitation to start building a mutually beneficial agreement. It is quite likely that the other party has left room to negotiate in their opening position, therefore if you blindly accept the first offer you are literally leaving money on the table. When you receive the first offer, do not commit to anything just yet. It’s usually OK to ask for more time to consider the offer carefully, away from the heat of the negotiation.
Back to my negotiation with Three. I told them about Giff Gaff’s offer, and they said the best they can do is £15 per month. I thought about it and then rejected the offer as not good enough. More rounds of negotiation would be needed to reach an acceptable offer.
Develop your BATNA
Please indulge my first use of a technical term, as I have had to show an impressive level of restraint to avoid jargon so far. ‘BATNA’ simply means ‘Best Alternative To A Negotiated Agreement’. When looking for a job it’s beneficial to be in discussions with a few companies as this increases your BATNA. It gives your potential employer the incentive to close the deal with you or risk losing you to a competitor. Clearly BATNA applies universally, whether it’s buying a used car or buying furniture.
As you’ve probably deduced, my BATNA for my negotiation with Three was that I would leave them and go to Giff Gaff.
Summary
As Christians, we should negotiate honestly and fairly. In Proverbs 20:14 (NIV) it says:
‘“It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer— then goes off and boasts about the purchase.’
Godliness and truth demand a fair price and impeccable honesty. Examples include not exaggerating faults when purchasing something or lying about your current salary when asked by a prospective employer.
I hope that I’ve shown you how important it is to negotiate and given you the confidence to ask for more even if it will feel uncomfortable the first few times. Know that you and your resources are valuable and that what you are asking for is not unreasonable.
By the way, I eventually got my Three contract down to £11 per month 😊
Let me know your negotiation stories in the comments and on IG!
God Bless
Ten Talents
Really good article, full of insight. In life we do need to review and negotiate when it comes to money. When we are able to do this, God is able to trust us with more. It reminds me of the parable of the talents. We do not know how the servant returned with more, but he was resourceful with what he had. The same can be applied to handling money.
Thank you so much. You are so right.
Thoroughly insightful and educational. I’m certainly going to be adopting the BATNA principle to my future purchases or job prospects.
Thank you very much! Praying for God’s favour in your future negotiations!
you seem to be a good negotiator as well as a christian. Good on you my man!!!!!