Work in your groups to answer these questions.

A) In which country (Russia, the USA, Germany or Spain):

1. should you start a negotiation with general conversation?

2. do negotiators show strong emotions?

3. is it common for there to be several conversations at the same time during a negotiation?

4. do negotiators focus on results rather than developing relationships?

5. do negotiators plan their tactics carefully?

6. should you not stop someone while they are talking?

7. is it usual for the atmosphere to be relaxed and friendly?

8. do negotiators prefer to think of ideas during a negotiation rather than before it starts?

9. do negotiators like to talk about business immediately?

10. should you not give the other side too much as they will not respect you?

 

B)  1. Do you agree with what the articles say?

2.Which of the countries is the nearest to your own country in terms of
     negotiating behaviour? Why?

 

Study the information about the process of negotiating and summarize it in English or in Russian.

Art of Negotiating

 

Negotiating is often referred to as an ‘art’. While some people may be naturally more skillful as negotiators, everyone can learn to negotiate. And, as they often say in business, everything is negotiable. Some techniques and skills that aid people in the negotiating process include:

• aiming high;
• visualizing the end results;
• treating one’s opponent with respect and honesty;
• preparing ahead of time;
• exhibiting confidence.

Types of negotiating

In business, the goal of negotiating parties should always be for mutual gain. This type of win-win negotiation is often called collaborative negotiating. The opposite of collaborative negotiating is called competitive negotiating. The goal of competitive negotiating is for one party to win and the other to lose. Dishonest practices, such as lying, manipulation, intimidation, and bribery are often used in this type of negotiation.

Main Principles of Collaborative Negotiating:

- Resolve previous conflicts ahead of time;

- Deal with issues, not personalities;

- Commit to listening more than speaking: the more you know about your counterpart, the more likely you will achieve your goals. You cannot convince someone of something when you do not know anything about them, or what their own needs are. A common mistake is to prepare one’s next question or point while the opponent is speaking.

- Establish trust in the onset (=beginning);

- Develop a common goal;

- Discuss a common enemy;

- Take opponent’s views/needs into careful consideration: not only do you want to win this negotiation, you want your opponent to win as well, so that he or she will negotiate with you again in the future.

The Negotiation Process

Here are a few golden rules to successful negotiations:

1) Always try to negotiate for at least 15 minutes. Any less than that and it is unlikely that either party has had enough time to fairly consider the other side. Generally, the size or seriousness of the negotiation determines the amount of time needed to negotiate it. Setting a time limit is a good idea. Approximately 90% of negotiations get settled in the last 10% of the discussion.

 

2) Always offer to let the other party speak first. This is especially important if you are the one making a request for something such as a raise. The other party may have overestimated what you are going to ask for and may actually offer more than what you were going to request.

 

3) Always respect and listen to what your opponent has to say. This is important even if he or she does not extend the same courtesy to you. Do your best to remain calm and pleasant even if the other party is displaying frustration or anger. Remember some people will do anything to intimidate you.

 

4) Acknowledge what the other party says. Everyone likes to know that what they say is important. If the other party opens first, use it to your advantage, by paraphrasing what you have heard. Repeat their important ideas before you introduce your own stronger ones.

 

5) Pay attention to your own and your counterpartner’s body language. Make sure that you aren’t conveying any negative body language. Review the chart below to learn how to interpret body language during the negotiations.

 

Body Language	Possible meaning
Avoiding Eye Contact	Lying Not interested Not telling the whole truth
Serious Eye Contact	Trying to intimidate Showing anger
Touching the face / fidgeting	Nervousness Lack of confidence Submission
Nodding	Agreeing Willing to compromise
Shaking the head / turning away	Frustrated In disbelief Disagreeing with a point