5 Soft Skills You Need to Perfect Before Negotiating

Caroline Gray

Ace that negotiation with these five skills.

Your soft skills are just as important as your hard skills. A high EQ will set you apart from the rest of the crowd. People respond well to people who can communicate effectively – whether that means speaking well, actively listening, or providing a boost of inspiration at a much-needed time.

We spoke to Joel Garfinkle, executive coach and author of Getting Ahead: Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level, to explain the five most important soft skills to perfect before you negotiate a promotion. Conveniently, these five soft skills are also ones you’ll want to ace in your everyday life.

Communication

“Great communication skills are critical in every aspect of your career. Whether it’s communicating with your superiors, fellow team members or those you’re directing, effective and efficient communication will help ensure you’re seen as a valuable asset.”

Listening

“Being a great and active listener is a skill that will serve you well, at all stages of your career. Without this soft skill, you’re missing half of the communication equation and likely won’t be on the list for that promotion.”

Motivation

“Being seen as a great team motivator is typically key to moving up any company’s organizational chart. Great leaders don’t tell people what to do, they inspire them to do their best.”

Delegation

“Learning how and when to delegate tasks maximizes the efficiencies of your team. As you garner more responsibilities within your organization, chances are, delegating is going to be an increasingly important skill to have.”

Innovation

“If you really want to lock-in that promotion, before the negotiation even begins, hone your innovation skills. Whether you’re developing innovations within your industry, your company or just within your specific job duties, showing that you can think outside the box, to help take your organization to the next level is going to really make a good impression on those who’ll be determining the fate of your promotion.”