If you are in the business world, then you need to know how to negotiate. It is a central necessity of any company. Some depend on the art of negotiation for their paychecks, whereas others use it as an ends to a mean. If you are in sales, negotiation and persuasion are your bread and butter. Business owners negotiate prices with customers and vendors. HR executives are in near constant negotiations for the best balance between the company and the employee. Whatever your role, here are five things you don't want to bring to the negotiation table.

1. Emotions

When it comes to the art of negotiation, emotions are the ace that you want to keep close to your chest. You have to have emotions since they are a significant driver to persuasion behaviors, but showing them can immediately derail the process. The ability to self-identify and self-manage emotions are two of the four elements that are needed to create a productive negotiating environment, according to an article for the journal International Comparative Jurisprudence. Before walking into a mediation setting, do a self-check and figure out your emotional state. If you are feeling negative emotions, regulate them using techniques like meditation and directed imagery.

2. Anxiety

A common and detrimental emotional state for negotiations is anxiety. Down in the core of your brain is a section that handles the fear response. When you walk into a meeting with anxiety, it automatically kicks up your fight or flight response, putting you into an unfavorable negotiating position. One of the best ways to eliminate anxiety when it comes to negotiating is to practice. Set up a side business using a direct sales platform like Amway as a safe way to practice negotiating without risking the big deals of your main business.

3. Ego

In psychology, the ego is the part of the subconscious that is looking for personal but realistic success. In negotiation, the ego is a good asset as long as your personal goals are perfectly aligned with the business goals. This is not always true, though. Some people want to make a crushing deal, leaving their opponent with nothing. Others want to be done quickly. Like emotions, the way to keep your ego in check is to self-assess, knowing your true goals for the meeting and how they line up with the company’s objectives.

4. Frown

In any negotiation, you need to develop a relationship. Nothing can be achieved without this happening. One of the best ways to start a good relationship is with a genuine smile. A smile, a handshake and an acknowledgement to the participants that they are valuable to this process set the stage for a fruitful negotiation.

5. Ignorance

You cannot know everything, but there is a minimum threshold that you want to achieve. Do your research. Understand everything you can about the people that are going to sit on the other side of the table from you. Before you walk into the room, know what drives them, what they are going to want from you and where their deal-breaking point is. This will help you make a better deal for both sides.