Focus on Words

Unit 4 Communication
Before you read
1. Have you ever had to negotiate, say, with a friend or a noisy neighbour?
2. Are you afraid of negotiating? Do you try to avoid it?
3. When you negotiate, do you concede at once?
4. Do you think of negotiating as winning or losing? Do you try to win at all costs?
5. Which do you think are the most important points in negotiating?
Read the text and state whether there are points you disagree with
A win-win negotiation
First and foremost: Be polite,
be persistent, and keep your focus.
Be informed: Find out everything
about the other side. Preparation and
planning is highly important.
Clarify your priorities. Be ready
to concede less important points Keep
your negotiation strategies simple and
flexible. Plan ahead what you are
willing to give up. Know your bottom
– when you stop negotiating and turn
down the offer.
Be positive. Stress the need for the agreement from the outset. Engage in
constructive arguments. Try to put yourself in the other party’s shoes.
Style of negotiating. If you are negotiating in a foreign country be prepared to fit
in with their style of negotiating. Learn about the customs, values and practices of the
people you are going to negotiate with. If you are making no progress on a very difficult
point, suggest you come back to it later. Identify who the decision- maker is.
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