Most of the times there are two kind of reasons – for why you may want to avoid negotiation.

1 – You are the one who has to pay in the end.

You want the work done. You don’t mind a little difference of opinion at the end, but not before the work is done. You are in control – you don’t mind negotiating at the end. You are happy to postpone the negotiation.

2 – You are afraid to confront the reality of discovering your market price.

Maybe you are afraid to hear a no. You don’t want to risk a rejection.

Bonus – You implicitly trust the person you have to negotiate with

There is one more reason for not negotiating – but it is very rare. You trust the person you should be negotiating with so much that you don’t feel any need to negotiate. You know the trusted person will give you the best deal anyway. If that is the case though, even the other person wouldn’t mind if you bring up the negotiation right away – he has nothing to lose. Don’t test the trust, negotiate wherever you can.

Do you wait for the other person to bring up the matter of negotiation? Do you try to avoid it? Why?

Avoiding negotiation does not make you look nice, it usually means that you are not sophisticated enough to negotiate. People who negotiate frequently and negotiate early usually have a huge advantage over the rest. It is the advantage of working in symmetric information situations. There is no conflict between being generous and being a good negotiator.

Not negotiating is not generous, it is being miserly with your effort and intention. Although many people spend their life trying to be nice, they end up being miserly with information and timely action and hurting people who work with them in the process.

Be wary of people who avoid negotiation, they are emotionally insecure and will be difficult to work with in the end.