Negotiations-Making Deals

Thanks for attending the webinar on negotiating in English and we hope the
language covered proves useful to you. This is a summary of that language for
your reference.
Each webinar covers a different area of business life and those who attend
HumanEnglish webinars receive these documents in PDF form. They include;

An outline of the content of the webinar

Vocabulary in context-words, phrases and expressions which are
frequently found in the context of presentations
Notes on usage of the language we looked at in the webinar
Texts used in the webinar as a basis for discussion or to contextualize
language
Grammar notes where appropriate

Summary

The vocabulary of negotiating

Types of negotiating and negotiators
Language for preparing, conducting and concluding negotiations
Reformulating and bargaining

Negotiating
[I or T] to have formal discussions with someone in order to reach an
agreement with them
The government has refused to negotiate with the strikers.
I'm negotiating for a new contract.
I've managed to negotiate (= get by discussion) a five per cent pay
increase with my boss.
able to be discussed or changed in order to reach an agreement
Everything is negotiable at this stage - I'm ruling nothing out.
the process of discussing something with someone in order to reach an
agreement with them, or the discussions themselves
The agreement was reached after a series of difficult negotiations.
The exact details of the agreement are still under negotiation.
Negotiation for the pay increase is likely to take several weeks.
Definitions from the Cambridge online dictionary
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

Types of Negotiator
Someone who tries to help two groups who disagree to reach an agreement
with each other, usually as a job
Some very skillful negotiators will be needed to settle this dispute.
negotiate
negotiate terms
negotiate for
negotiation
under negotiation
negotiator
a skilful negotiator
negotiating tactics

The Language of Negotiations

Negotiation is the process of coming to terms and getting the best deal
possible for your company, your department or yourself. Negotiations involve
a conflict of interest. Sellers prefer a high price to a low one and buyers a low
one to a high one. What one side gains the other side loses and this conflict
has to be managed if a friendly atmosphere is to continue. After all, both
sides will probably meet again and no one likes to feel they have lost. Another
important feature of negotiations is that they take part in an atmosphere of
uncertainty where neither side really knows what the other wants or will give.

The Process

Preparation

Bargaining

Opening

Closing

a) Setting objectives or specifications and deciding on a negotiating strategy.

b) Revealing the initial bargaining position to your opposite numbers.
c) Trying to probe the the weaknesses of the other sides case and convince them that they
must change their position and move closer to yours.
d) Checking that your position holds good in the light of information received from your
opponents and their reactions to your case.
e) Judging whether the other other side is determined to stick to their position or will
settle for a compromise.
f) Making final moves and establishing any trade-offs in order to lead to a settlement.

A business negotiation can be similar to a discussion between friends fixing a social

engagement. Two parties have a shared objective: to work together in a way which is mutually
beneficial. Proposals and counter-proposals are discussed until agreement is reached. Both
sides hope for repeat business. This is an agreement-based negotiation
a win-win negotiation
Two other types of negotiation are less founded on mutual benefit, but on gaining the best deal
possible for your side. This means that each team thinks only about its own interests. In this type,
a seller typically seeks to sell a product but is less concerned about repeat business.
independent advantage
A third type is the negotiation to resolve conflict, for example in a contractual dispute. Here, it is
possible that each party regards the other as an opponent and seeks to win the argument.
a win-lose negotiation

Preparation
Identify your minimum requirements.
Prepare your opening statement.
Decide what concessions you could make.
Know your own strengths and weaknesses.
Know your role as part of a team.
Prepare your negotiating position - know your aims and objectives.
Prepare any figures, any calculations and any support materials you may
need.

Opening
Hello, Jos Mendes, Sales Manager for ICIT- and my associate Miguel Sousa.
Very pleased to meet you. I'm David Moss, and this is my legal adviser Sue
Beaton.
I hope you had a pleasant flight over.
Yes, we did thanks.
Are you staying for a few days?
Unfortunately we need to get back to Lisbon tomorrow.
Opening statement
Mr. Moss, to start off with, I just want to say we believe we can offer you a very good deal
and come up with a win-win result.
Getting down to business
Well, we'd better get down to business. Mr. North, to start off with, I just want to say we
believe we can offer you a very good deal and come up with a win-win result.

Bargaining
We can use this form when we think the outcome of a situation is very likely.
If + present simple + will/wont + infinitive
If you give us a discount of 5 %, we will place an order for 2,000 units.
When the outcome is less certain or imaginary the following form is prefered
Its also used in negotiations to make the offer or proposal less direct.
If + past simple + would/wouldnt + infinitive
If you gave us a 10% discount, we would place a much larger order.
What discount would you offer us if we decided to go to another supplier?

Language to object to a point or offer

I understand where you're coming from; however,
I'm prepared to compromise, but...
The way I look at it...
The way I see things...
If you look at it from my point of view...
I'm afraid I had something different in mind.
That's not exactly how I look at it.
From my perspective...
I'd have to disagree with you there.
I'm afraid that doesn't work for me.
Is that your best offer?
Bargaining Tips
Use words that will bring both parties together, e.g. we, us, jointly, together etc.
Put the negotiation into the context of the market or environment you both work in and
summarize how you can reach short-term or long-term objectives
Mention some of the variables in the negotiation but keep some of them up your sleeve
for later
Remind your partner what is important to them and what is important to you
Closing
Well, I guess that about wraps it up.
Do you think we could have that in writing by the end of the week?
Great. Ill get my secretary to fix the next meeting for as soon as possible.
Can I just go over what weve discussed again?
Okay. So, the goods will arrive by Friday as we agreed.
Have I missed anything out?
Were there any final questions before we finish?
I look forward to doing business with you again soon.
Thank you for coming all this way on such a cold morning.
To sum up, the supplies will be at a 2.5% discount as compared to the last order.

Language to Use in Accepting a Proposal

It sounds like we've found some common ground.
I'm willing to leave things there if you are.
Let's leave it this way for now.
I'm willing to work with that.
I think we both agree to these terms.
I'm satisfied with this decision.
I think we should get this in writing.
I'd like to stop and think about this for a little while.
You've given me a lot to think about/consider.
Would you be willing to sign a contract right now?
Let's meet again once we've had some time to think.
Formalize the agreement/negotiation
In most business negotiations it is a good idea to get something down in writing. Even if a
decision has not been made, a letter of intent to continue the negotiations is often used. This
is a way for each party to guarantee that talks will continue. A letter of intent often outlines the
major issues that will be discussed in future negotiations.
In some cases a confidentiality agreement is also necessary. This is a promise from both
parties to keep information private between discussions. When an agreement has been
decided, a formal contract can be made. On the other hand, depending on the level of trust, a
simple handshake and verbal agreement may be all that is needed.
However, even if nothing is put formally in writing, it is wise to send an e-mail or letter that
verifies the terms and puts the agreement on record, especially when a specific number is
decided on.