Mastering Key Language for the Seven Stages of Negotiations

Negotiations in English are never easy and knowing what to say and when to say it can be challenging. There's a whole host of things we have to keep in mind, including our objectives, cultural differences, trying to work out what the party wants, and most importantly, speaking English well and making ourselves understood.

However, we can make it a lot easier on ourselves by preparing well and learning the seven steps during a negotiation and the language we need at every stage. Read on to find out about the different stages along with some useful phrases you can use.

1. Ready yourself

Think carefully about your strategy beforehand. What do you want to achieve? What does the other party expect to get out of this negotiation? What are your concessions? What are your red lines? Keep all of these questions in mind before you start negotiating and be clear about what you want!

2. Explore each other's needs

Negotiation is about coming to a mutually beneficial agreement. Both parties need to be happy if there is going to be a long-term business relationship. Try and build rapport and find out what interests the other party. In a negotiation, we often use the past tense when asking someone what they want or what they are interested in as it's considered polite and diplomatic. Typical phrases include:

'What did you have in mind?' or 'What were you interested in?'

3. Signal for movement

At some stage of the negotiation, we all have to show we are prepared to compromise! So, when it's time to indicate your flexibility and show that you are prepared to move from your original position and make concessions, you can use the second conditional:

'If you considered lowering your prices (MY CONDITION), we might be able to agree on a deal (MY CONCESSION).'

You'll notice how one part of the conditional deals with the concession and one with the condition.

4. Exchange concessions

This is where we get down to the real business and start agreeing on the details of the deal. Use the first conditional here to connect both your condition in the negotiation and your concession. For example,

'If you reduce your prices by 10% (MY CONDITION), we will sign a five-year contract' (MY CONCESSION).

5. Close the deal

It's always a good idea to set a deadline before you start and to understand your bottom line. You need to be clear in your mind about what you can give away and what is non-negotiable for you before you start negotiating. When you consider the negotiation over, be sure to signal that to the other party so that you can bring the meeting to an end.

6. Tie up loose ends

Quickly go over what you have agreed, get everything down on paper, and follow up asap with a written document (an email or a letter) to confirm areas of agreement. You can signal to your partner that you would like to summarize the meeting:

'Let's go over the agreed points again.'

So, here's a taste of what you need to learn to succeed in negotiations in English. There's a lot of stuff out there on the internet, so if you want to find out more, google away! Of course, nothing can replace practicing with a professional. As they say, 'practice makes perfect', so if you really want to master negotiations quickly, find yourself the right school and teacher.

For more information on business and general English courses and a free speaking test, contact Anthony directly (director@bblc.ru).