On April 3, the NeW DC Professional Network met at Cafe Soleil for an evening of networking and dinner. During the event, they heard a dynamic and informative talk on negotiation techniques from Emily Dunham.

Dunham shared her top five negotiating techniques:

1. It can’t hurt to ask. The worst someone can say is no, so don’t be afraid to ask.
2. Do your homework. Start from a reasonable place. Ask yourself: what is the market for what you are asking for?
3. Put yourself in their shoes. What is important to the client you are working with? They are at the negotiating table for a reason – what is that reason and how can you use that to negotiate a better deal.
4. Relationships matter. You can be a tough negotiator and still be nice. You can create a new framework to create a new solution to problems.
5. Be willing to walk away. Sometimes the end result is to walk away and that is okay.

Want to learn more about these negotiating techniques and more? Join us for the NeW National Conference on June 20-21 in Washington, DC and hear from Emily Dunham and many more inspiring women as they share their advice and tips on professional development.