Negotiation is something that never seems to be out of the news, or out of our lives. Whether it’s the terms of EU membership, the future of UK steel, the forthcoming US electoral conventions or the latest deal we’re trying to conclude with a customer or supplier, the word is on everyone’s lips these days. What are the secrets of doing it well?

In this article we step inside the meeting room and see how being a skilled negotiator works in practice. Find out how:

• to demonstrate to the other party that we are really listening
• to easily uncover strategic objectives
• to avoid causing irritation to the other side
• expressing feelings can be used to your advantage

These are all things we need to emulate before we can call ourselves a nation of skilled negotiators. Clearly, as so often in life, there’s ground to cover between knowing what works, and making it work in practice.