A venture capital pitch. A hundred-million-dollar deal. A 15% salary bump. A day each week to work from home.  

Whether it’s big stakes or small stakes, everything in business is a negotiation, says Joanna Shea, CEO of The Negotiations Collective, an international firm that offers corporate training and advisory services. 

This is especially true if you’re in a leadership role at an organization. But not everyone who sits at the negotiation table has training on how to negotiate. 

Negotiation skill sets vary widely, influenced by the diverse gender identities, cultural backgrounds and personal experiences of the people at the table.   

Women leaders and business owners face challenges when negotiating because of firmly entrenched gender constructs and biases — both conscious and unconscious, says Shea, who has a background in commercial negotiations. 

Women might also adopt the culture of their organization when they negotiate, she adds. 

“In our individualistic culture, women are typecast as nurturers, and there is a stereotype that when one is a nurturer and a woman, one is not assertive,” she says. “So, when a woman thumps…people get uncomfortable.” 

There's also a persistent misconception that women don't push for more money. Research from 2024 shows this is no longer the case. Women ask for more money just as frequently as men. The difference? Men are more likely to get what they want when compared to women. 

But there are steps women can take to encourage more equitable negotiations, Shea says, while getting what they want.

Consider training to overcome anxiety  

Good negotiators don’t wake up with the skills to get what they want, for themselves or their organization, Shea says. Most undergo negotiation training.  

Tactical training that runs women through negotiation scenarios and strategies can help reduce feelings of anxiety they might have.  

Coming to an agreement at the negotiation table has less to do with gender, Shea says, and more to do with who’s been properly equipped with the right advice or training.   

“They will smell your anxiety and if they're experienced, they will push. So, for women entrepreneurs and leaders, it's a mindset thing,” she says. 

If everyone around the table gets access to the same level of advice or training, they’ll be equally successful, no matter their gender, she says.

Negotiation training often leans on behavioural psychology, equipping leaders to understand who they’re dealing with when they’re making a deal, Shea says. 

Training also gives women opportunities to role-play tough negotiations and get feedback, so they are prepared to do it for real when the time comes. 

Establish a bargaining zone 

Women can set themselves up for a successful negotiation by knowing exactly where they can bend and when they need to walk away — before discussions even start. 

“If women can do the research, the due diligence and that competitive analysis to know what the range is in the bargaining zone, they're going to do better,” Shea says. 

The bargaining zone is also called the zone of possible agreement (ZOPA). It refers to the common ground the parties can find in their negotiations. The idea is to come to an agreement that incorporates some ideas or requests from the other party. 

Know your resistance point

Part of operating in the ZOPA means knowing your resistance point, which is the minimum offer or set of terms you — or the party you’re negotiating with  — is willing to accept. 

If your resistance point for a salary negotiation is no less than $150,000 and your potential employer’s resistance point is no more than $160,000, your ZOPA for this salary negotiation is likely between those two numbers. 

You should also know your best alternatives to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) — the first, second and third options you can proceed with if your negotiations fail. 

You should also know your walk-away point, which is the point at which you will walk away from the negotiations (and move to your BATNAs) because there’s no longer any value to you, Shea says.

Negotiate on behalf of someone else 

Even if you’re negotiating for yourself, there’s value in visualizing you’re doing it for someone or something else. Chances are, you’ll negotiate harder, Shea says. 

"You should start inserting "we" instead of me or I. In a negotiation, it is never only about you. When engaging with a counterpart, visualize yourself negotiating on behalf of your team, your spouse or your child,” she says. 

“That mindset shift of negotiating on behalf of someone you care about will give you the mental power you need to push past your discomfort.”

Learn more about The Negotiations Collective, which offers group training programs in negotiating and conflict resolution in person or online.