Learning Journals: “Negotiation skills”
Introduction
The learning journals give the brief understanding about my experiences with the ABC ltd in the internship program. This report also a highlight the skill that used by me for handling the job responsibility and task that is allotted to me during my internship (Aldhizer, 2012). The designation that is allotted to me is customer care executive in which I have to solve the queries, issues and problems of the customers. Besides that, to achieve my task in an efficient manner, I used the negotiation skills for successfully performing my job. Thus, this was a learning experiences for me and it will help in my future career for performing the task in an appropriate manner.
Performances analysis of negotiation skills in the internship program
In my internship, I have performed various activities / task that add practical knowledge and experiences to me. I was responsible for handling the customer queries/ problems in order to provide them the better solution (Kazdin, 2010). Moreover in my job performances, I used to analyze the customer interest area and problems also that is faced by them. At the same time, the interaction with the customers on the daily basis helped me to assess and polish my negotiation skills. This practice also allows me to develop the creativity in terms of solving issues of the customer in a relevant manner. Likewise, there is one situation occur where I have used my negotiation skills for making customer the convinced and helped him for solving their queries (Moore, 2014). There was a time when one customer was not happy with the services offering as in the given product, company did not offer the warranty to the customer that makes him disappoint. In that situation, I had resolve their problems by made him understand that there is no such policy of the company in which it provides any type of warranty on product to the customers. So, by communicating clear policy to the customers, I have removed the confusion and make the customer better understanding about the company’s policy. This helped me to make the customer convinced and it leads in high satisfaction level. In this case I have able to satisfied the customer, but in another case where I have faced an issue related to the selling of product to the particular region of customers as they did not convinced with my communication skills. I was also failed to negotiate the benefits and price of the product and this result in dissatisfaction (Brinkert, 2010). Therefore with such situation, I have realized that I need to polish my negotiation skills for communication the information precisely to the customers.
There are various types of skills that are required to posses by the manager/ leader to perform the certain activity and to convince & persuade the customers. These skills are problem-solving, leadership, change management and negotiation skills. In the views of Kumar, et al., (2015), problem solving skills consider as most vital skills that help the individual to solve the problems/ issues of the customers and assist in decision making regarding the purchase of the product. On the other side Kenworthy, (2010), stated that leadership skills are the necessity of today’s managers especially in case of marketing and selling of product to customers. By the leadership skills, leader can instruct the customers and allow them to perceive the product benefits and take decision accordingly. But according to Bercovitch, et al., (2008), negotiation skills consider a crucial in case when customer interaction exists. As with the negotiation skills, the person/ individual can be easily solve the queries of the customers and able to provide the solution to them. In case of change management skills, Fisher, et al, (2011), explained that change management skills is also current necessity of the changing environment as customer needs and wants can be satisfy or fulfil only with the adopting of change managements strategy and this skills also helps the company to stay in the competition over the long period of time. Change management skills also help the manager to develop its product as per the technology and this is consider as a best way to influences the customers.
In order to interact with the customers and solving their complaints and queries, in that case, the negotiation skills are most suited in the context to convince the customers. Similarly for performing the job responsibility in the ABC ltd there is need to uses the win-win negotiation model.
According to Aldhizer, (2012), win-win model helps the satisfying the consumer demands by serving the best quality products and services. In this model, both company and consumer are in win-win situation as customer gets the desired products and company achieve its brand value in the market. Thus, this model is similar to my work performances as I also used negotiating skills for solving the queries the customers
Reflection: Framework for measure the skills
In the internship, I have undergone with various situations where with my negotiation skills got the success and at times I failed to influences the customers with my skills. In that case, I tried to polish my skills so that I could perform better and able to handle the queries/ issues of customer (Pruitt, 2013). In order to bring improvements in the negotiation skills with the aim to interact the customer, it includes the following framework into my practices for the negotiation skills. It includes the preparation by gathering all information about the products and interest area of the customer and clarifications of goals and using of win-win negotiating model for handling the customer’s issues. Thus from such negotiating framework, the manager or individual can able to contact the customer queries in an efficient manner and able to solve the issues of them. The discussion/ preparation help the person to interact with the customer confidently and this helps to easily convince the customers. Clarification of goals helps the people to reduce the maximum chances of miscommunication among the customers. Furthermore with the Win-Win negotiation skills, the individual an easily convinces and guide the customers behaviour towards the decision making.
On the basis of my performances on the internship program, it is recommended that I need to worked more on my verbal communications and listening skills as for making the negotiation skills better, there is need to firstly improve listening skill by listen the customer problems then only negotiation will be fruitful. Besides that, I can also take help of my supervisors for performing my job responsibility in an effective manner.
This learning journals highlight about the job responsibility that I performed during my internship program. In this program, I have used the negotiation skills in the case of handling the customer’s query and this skill also proved to be helpful for me in terms of fulfilling my job responsibility. Thus, this internship program is quite learning experiences for me and it also gives various opportunities to my future career.
References
Aldhizer III, G. R. (2012) Teaching negotiation skills within an accounting curriculum. Issues in Accounting Education, 28(1),pp. 17-47.
Bercovitch, J., Kremenyuk, V., and Zartman, I. W. (2008) The SAGE handbook of conflict resolution. UK: Sage.
Brinkert, R. (2010) A literature review of conflict communication causes, costs, benefits and interventions in nursing. Journal of Nursing Management, 18(2), pp. 145-156.
Fisher, R., Ury, W. L., and Patton, B. (2011) Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. UK: Penguin.
Kazdin, A. E. (2010) Problem-solving skills training and parent management training for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents, pp. 211-226.
Kenworthy, A. L. (2010) Service-learning and negotiation: An educational “win-win”. Journal of Management Education, 34(1), pp. 62-87.
Kumar, S., Kumar, N., Deshmukh, V., and Adhish, V. S. (2015) Change management skills. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 40(2), pp. 85.
Moore, C. W. (2014) The mediation process: Practical strategies for resolving conflict. John USA: Wiley & Sons.
Pruitt, D. G. (2013) Negotiation behavior. UK: Academic Press.
