(Some additional comments on negotiations cont. 7)

Stages of Negotiation

. Stages of negotiations are

‐ preparation

‐ proposal

‐ debate

‐ bargaining

‐ closing

. Prioritise your objectives as high, medium and low

. Understand the difference between "needs" and "wants"

. Assess the opposition

‐ are they experienced negotiators?

‐ are there any differences of opinion amongst them?

‐ do they have the knowledge and facts necessary to achieve their aims?

‐ do they have the power and authority to achieve their aims?

‐ are they under pressure to settle quickly?

‐ what are the strengths and weaknesses of their argument?

‐ have they prioritised their objectives into high (considered vital), medium (would like to achieve) and low priority (bonuses if achieved)

. Learn from earlier encounters

. Define the "traditional" roles within your team, ie leader, good guy, bad guy, hard‐liner, sweep, etc

Leader ‐ usually the person with the most expertise (not necessarily the most senior member of the team). Responsibilities include conducting the negotiations and orchestrating the other team members when needed

Good guy ‐ appears to be on‐side with the opposition. Responsibilities include expressing sympathy and understanding for the opposition point of view, appearing to back‐track on positions previously held by own team and lulling the other team into a false sense of security and allowing them to relax

Bad guy ‐ this role is to make the other side feel that agreement is going to be hard to reach. Responsibilities include stopping negotiations from proceeding if and when needed, undermining any argument or point of view the other side puts forward, intimidating the opposition and trying to expose the weaknesses

Hard liner ‐ takes a tough stance on everything. Responsibility is to delay progress by using stalling tactics which allows his own team to retreat from soft options they might have made; he/she also observes and records the progress of the negotiations, and keeps the team focused on the objectives of the negotiations

Sweeper ‐ takes an overall view and summarizes. Responsibility is to suggest ways or tactics to get out of deadlocked negotiations, preventing the discussion from straying too far from the main issues, etc.

. Pointing out inconsistencies in the opposition's argument

. When developing a strategy, some questions to ask

‐ how will you decide on strategy and tactics?

‐ how many people do you need in your negotiating team?

‐ how long will it take you to formulate a strategy?

‐ do all team members need to attend all negotiations?

‐ when can you rehearse your roles and tactics?

‐ who will take the notes?

‐ who will develop the agenda (including schedule and timing)?

‐ where will the negotiations be located, ie home ground, neutral ground, away ground?

‐ what will be the seating arrangements and layout of the negotiation room?

. Effective negotiation is as much about listening and observing as it is about talking, ie

‐ observe the mood and atmosphere

‐ listen to what the other party says

‐ listen to how they say it

‐ observe non‐verbal signals/gestures/body language (facial expressions, eye movements and stance/posture can be illuminating)

. These signals may reinforce or contradict what they are saying, ie

‐ crossing of legs and arms suggests defensiveness

‐ leaning back on a chair indicates boredom

‐ hesitation or fidgeting may indicate lack of conviction

‐ raised eyebrows are a clear sign of surprise

‐ speaking slowly and deliberately indicates confidence

‐ smiling unnecessarily and speaking quickly indicates nervousness

‐ type of handshake (a confident handshake shows openness; a forceful handshake indicates dominance; a limp handshake indicates passivity)

‐ sitting upright in a chair, making eye contact, and leaning forward slightly sends positive messages