THE IMPORTANCE OF NEGOTIATING SKILLS

By PENJANI NZIMA

FARMERS are suppose to take farming as a business seriously and be able to apply certain important skills that matter very muchin their course of conducting business.

The skills that farmers of various sizes are to equip themselves with include those to do with production, harvesting, storage and marketing of the same crops that they grow.

It is very interesting to note that most farmers small scale inclusive have mastered the art of effective crop production because they have understood fully the skills involved and yet when the harvest is done most of these farmers are not able to find the right price for their produce because they lack proper negotiating skills.

And according to the book entitled NEGOTIATION SKILLS: KEYSTO BUSINESS EXCELLENCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY? This book Indicates that effective negotiation is a key to the improvement of organizational competitiveness.

This is a very important skill for the farmer because it will give the farmer the power not to be easily moved with whatever price the particular client dictates.

“Negotiation skills lie at the very heart of business success since business is driven by humans who are social beings.

“This socialization process involves constant interaction hence the need for negotiation for best outcomes and results. There is there fore need to interweave negotiation skills into the fabric, character, processes and procedures of organizations that would be successful in the 21stcentury,” states the book.

And as a result of not having proper negotiating skills (this looked down upon but very important skill) most farmers small scale especially find that the price of their commodities is being fixed on their behalf by either middle men or the market sets it up on their behalf.  

This is the reason why the Young farmer Maanda is strongly appealing to the farmers to make sure that they master the skill of effective negotiating in terms of coming up with the right price of the crop with a particular client.

Furthermore, the farmer needs to put into perspective the cost of producing that very crop being put on sale as well as the quality so that a better price can be achieved even as the farmer engages the particular client who has shown interest in the crop.

“As you negotiate for your prices think about your cost of production, think about the quality that you’re producing so even as you set these prices you know the true value of your crop and these are the skills that will help you even find other potential clients and potential market,” explains young farmer Maanda.

She further encourages the farmers to be persuasive in their negotiations so that a win - win situation can be attained between a farmer and the particular client.    

“You need to come to a point where you’re being ethical and also need to come to a point of mutual agreement. Set your boundaries so even as you go in you have a plan, you’re able to communicate well,” she indicated.

She explains that as a result of not fully understanding the importance of proper negotiating skills most farmers find themselves succumbing to very low prices thereby leading them to make serious loses.  

“Most of the time farmers encounter a win lose situation where a farmer is on the losing end so as a good negotiator have your boundaries in place what price won’t you drop to and what price are you willing to meet half and half with that particular client,” she noted.

Time is now and not later or any other when the farmers must see to it that they acquire the rightful negotiating skills if they’re to excel in their farming business ventures.

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