The Language of Negotiations

There are certain expressions which can be used in negotiations. The expressions are grouped into 6 categories. These categories are built upon a strategy for negotiating that is neither "hard" nor "soft" but both hard and soft. It is the method of principled negotiation developed by the Harvard Negotiation Project at Harvard University. Its goal is to decide issues on their merits and not on the stated positions of the two sides. It suggests that you look for mutual gains wherever possible, and that where your interests conflict, you should insist that the result be based on some fair standards independent of the will of either side.

English speakers, especially Americans, like to express a certain amount of informality as soon as possible. Therefore, we quickly move to first names (although this is NOT a sign of intimacy or friendship). In addition, we quickly begin to use informal language. These facts are intended to signal cooperation among equal partners.

At the same time that we are moving toward informality in order to signal a willingness to cooperate, it is important to maintain an atmosphere of respect. How can we do this when using first names and informal expressions? We show respect in English in the following ways.

When making requests it preferable to say “We would like” instead of ‘We want” because it's more indirect and, therefore, more polite and respectful. So, instead of saying “I want to hear you talk about that first point again” (which could sound too much like a demand) you would better say “I would like to hear you talk about that first point again”. Use "should", "could", or "might" to remind or inform people about what to do next. Without such words, you could sound too much like a teacher or a policeman. Use phrases like "I think" and "maybe" and "perhaps" to introduce suggestions. These words do not indicate uncertainty; they do express respect for the other person. So, instead of saying “It's time to start the meeting now” (which could sound too authoritarian.) you should say “I think we should start the meeting now”. When opening negotiations, the following phrases could be appropriate:

· On behalf of... I would like to welcome you to...

· It's my pleasure to welcome you to...

· When suggesting a procedure, you could say the following:

· I would like now to begin by suggesting the following procedure (agenda).

· To start with, I think we should establish the overall procedure.

· As our first order of business, can we agree on a procedure?

· Of course, you should check for the agreement of your counterpart:

· Does that fit in with your objectives?

· Is that compatible with what you would like to see?

· Does that seem acceptable to you?

· Is there anything you'd like to change?

· Is this okay with you?

· You could decide to give the discussion leadership to a colleague and it could be expressed in the following way:

· I will now hand you over to Mr. Brown___, who is...

· I will now hand the floor over to Mr. Adams, who is...

· Now let me hand the meeting over to my colleague, Ms. Jones, who...

Reviewing the previous session you could say:

· At our last meeting, we discussed...

· Perhaps you will recall that during our last discussion, we decided that...

When moving to the next point you could say:

· Could we now move on to the next subject, which is...

Signalling the start of bargaining one usually says:

· We've looked at what you have proposed, and we are ready to respond.

· After serious consideration, we are prepared to respond to your proposal.

Responding to a proposal we may use the following phrases:

· Regarding your proposal, our position is...

· Our basic position is...

· As far as your proposal is concerned, we think that...

Making and qualifying concessions you would perhaps say:

· We would be willing to..., provided, of course, that...

· We'd be prepared to.... However, there would be one condition.

Making counter proposals:

· May we offer an alternative? We propose that...

· We'd like to make an alternative proposal. We propose that...

· From where we stand, a better solution might be...

Identifying obstacles:

· The main obstacle to progress at the moment seems to be...

· The main thing that bothers us is...

· One big problem we have is...

Asking for concessions:

· In return for this, would you be willing to...?

· We feel there has to be a trade-off here.

Declining an offer:

· I'm afraid your offer doesn't go far enough.

· Unfortunately, we must decline your offer for the following reason(s).

· I'm sorry, but we must respectfully decline your offer.

At the closing stage of the negotiations, checking:

· Let's just confirm the details, then.

· Let's make sure we agree on these figures (dates / etc.).

· Can we check these points one last time?

Delaying:

· We would have to study this.

· Can we get back to you on this later?

· We'll have to consult with our colleagues back in the office.

· We'd like to get back to you on it.

Accepting:

· We are happy to accept this agreement.

· This agreement is acceptable to us.

· I believe we have an agreement.

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