Do negotiations really work?
Should I invest in developing negotiation skills?
How can negotiation skills impact my career or business?
If you are looking for tangible evidence that negotiation truly works, you have come to the right place.
Negotiation extends far beyond high-stake deals or corporate mergers. It encompasses everyday tasks such as managing workloads, collaborating across teams, allocating resources, and managing flexible work arrangements. Negotiation is an integral part of our everyday work life.
We have gathered together negotiation statistics from credible sources that highlight the practical advantages and the strategic importance of mastering negotiation skills, not just for immediate gains in specific negotiations but also for long-term professional development and success.
Preparation and Planning in Negotiations
Preparation and planning form the bedrock of successful negotiation. This is to ensure negotiators enter discussions with a clear understanding of their objectives, the landscape of the negotiation, and potential strategies to employ.
The following negotiation statistics highlight a significant gap between understanding the importance of negotiation preparation and the actual implementation in negotiation practices, as well as underscore the undeniable link between preparation and negotiation success.
- • 85% of sales negotiators don't establish what the other side wants upfront. (Scotwork)
- • Over 80% of sales negotiators have no fallback plan. (Scotwork)
- • Over 60% of salespeople can't always see the benefits of the outcomes of their negotiations. (Scotwork)
- • Just half (51%) of salespeople consider what's important to them before they begin negotiating. (Scotwork)
- • 41% of sales negotiators indicated that they occasionally have no time for preparation. (Scotwork)
- • Only 26% of sales negotiators always know what questions they will ask when they meet the other party. (Scotwork)
- • 74% of companies have no formal negotiation planning tools. (Huthwaite International)
- • 82% of top performers (those who hit 150%+ of their sales target) say they "always" perform research before reaching out to prospects. (LinkedIn)
Negotiation Outcomes and Value Creation
Negotiation outcomes and value creation are intricately linked. The ultimate goal is not only to win but to achieve an outcome that adds tangible value for all parties involved. Hence, the essence of successful negotiation lies in the creation of value, not just the distribution of existing resources.
In this section, the negotiation statistics underscore the significant impact that negotiation practices and environmental factors have on the outcomes and value generated in sales and business negotiations.
- • 23% of sales negotiators think their negotiating results always create long-term value for the business. (Scotwork)
- • 60% of salespeople at some time enter negotiations with no intention of making any form of concession. (Scotwork)
- • 21% of sales negotiators think the relationship has been strengthened when they complete a negotiation. (Scotwork)
- • Companies with no negotiation process suffered an average net income decline of 63.3%. (Huthwaite International)
- • Businesses with a systematic approach to sales and negotiation experience 42.7% greater growth to the bottom line than those without. (Huthwaite International)
- • Before cross-organisational collaboration was put in place, the average negotiation cycle time on complex projects was 12-18 months. Now, 75% of those deals are done in less than eight weeks. (Huthwaite International)
- • Residents of an office space — even after only 20 minutes of residing in a space — were able to claim as much as 160% more value in a distributive negotiation than the visiting party. (Markus Baer and Graham Brown)
- • Parties who negotiate on their home field can be expected to claim between 60% and 160% more value than the visiting party. (Markus Baer and Graham Brown)
Negotiation Training and Process
Negotiation training equips individuals with strategic skills to navigate complex interactions, fostering mutually beneficial outcomes and enhancing relational dynamics. It's a transformative process that combines preparation, active listening, clear communication, and adaptive strategies to effectively manage and resolve conflicts.
The following negotiation statistics indicate a widespread lack of formal negotiation processes and success measurement mechanisms within organisations. Despite this, it addresses the gap in negotiation skills and the increasing value placed on structured training to enhance negotiation outcomes and business performance.
- • 80% of companies have no formal negotiation process. (Huthwaite International)
- • 84% of organisations have no formalised measurement of negotiation success beyond the contract signature. (Huthwaite International)
- • Only 4% of organisations have a formalised mechanism for sharing the negotiation learnings across their business division. (Huthwaite International)
- • The negotiation training service market size is estimated to reach multi-million US dollars in 2029. (Industry Research)
Career Progression and Salary Negotiations
Salary negotiations are among the first negotiation experiences individuals encounter in their careers. This is because negotiating a salary typically occurs when starting a new job or during performance reviews, which can happen early in one's professional life.
While this section is more specific than the others, it's important that we look into the dynamics of salary negotiations and the attitudes of young professionals towards negotiating their compensation packages.
- • 69% of young professionals say they would be comfortable negotiating salary. (Fidelity)
- • 76% of young professionals say they would be comfortable negotiating benefits. (Fidelity)
- • Only 3% of Americans negotiated benefits outside of salary, while 39% of Americans negotiated salary and benefits outside of salary. (Fidelity)
- • 87% of young professionals who negotiate their job offers get at least some of what they asked for. (Fidelity)
- • 60% of US workers say they didn't ask for higher pay when they were last hired. (Pew Research Center)
- • Among workers who did ask for higher pay, 28% say they were given the pay they asked for, 38% say they were given more than was originally offered but less than they had asked for, and 35% say they were only given what was first offered. (Pew Research Center)
- • Women are more likely than men (38% vs. 31%) to say that after asking for higher pay, they were only given what had initially been offered. (Pew Research Center)
- • Men are more likely than women to say they were satisfied with the pay they were initially offered (42% vs. 36%), while women are more likely than men to say they didn't feel comfortable asking for higher pay (42% vs. 33%). (Pew Research Center)
Sales Negotiation and Relationship Building
Sales negotiation goes beyond transactions; it's about understanding needs, aligning goals, and fostering trust. Successful sales negotiators listen attentively, propose value-driven solutions, and navigate discussions with empathy, ensuring long-term relationships over short-term gains.
In this last section, the negotiation statistics reflect the importance of relationship building, the persistence required in persuading customers, the complexity of dealing with multiple decision-makers, and the challenges posed by evolving contract terms and buying behaviours.
- • 82% of sales pros say that building relationships with people is the most important part of selling (and the most enjoyable part of their job). (HubSpot)
- • 60% of customers say no four times before saying yes. (Invespcro)
- • There's an average of five decision-makers involved in every sales process today. (HubSpot)
- • 85% of sales professionals report that they are facing more onerous contract provisions. (Huthwaite International)
- • 79% of UK salespeople have had deals lost or stalled due to a key client leaving. (LinkedIn)
- • Just 34% of UK sales people still use cold calling as a tactic. (LinkedIn)
- • About 1/3 of global sellers (31%) say that they have closed deals over $500,000 without ever meeting the buyer face to face. (LinkedIn)
- • 50% of UK buyers say working remotely has made buying easier. Only 11% say it's made it more difficult. (LinkedIn)
- • At 16%, longer deal cycles are one of sales professionals' top challenges. (HubSpot)
- • 51% of sales pros reported in-person meetings are the most effective sales channel, followed by phone calls (46%) and email (40%). (HubSpot)
Master negotiation skills with Scotwork
Scotwork offers comprehensive negotiation training programs that have been specifically designed to improve your negotiation skills. Our expert team has over 45 years of experience and provides individuals and businesses with the practical tools and techniques needed to become exceptional negotiators.
Our training courses provide an average ROI of 16.08 x the course fee in just 3 months.
Get in touch today if you want to learn more about our expert negotiation training and consultancy services.
