Communication and Personality in Negotiation

Communication and Personality in Negotiation

Emmanuel Prude

MGT. /445

June 10th, 2013

NATALIA ROLL

Regardless of the type of small business an owner may be involved in, there are always negotiations that take place on a daily basis. These may be as simple as choosing a meeting time and place, or they could be much more important to the overall business structure, such as working out the details of a big contract. Business people need to be skilled in negotiation tactics and understand how to effectively communicate during the negotiation process (Leigh, 2013).

There are many forms of negotiation that take place. Many people don’t realize that they’re in negotiations when it’s happening. Take interviewing for a job for example. I interviewed for my position where I worked. At the time, I didn’t realize that I was, in fact, negotiating for a desired schedule and pay, but thinking back one it, that was exactly what I was doing. I also didn’t really consider how effective communication on my part helped win me the position of manager instead of the position I was trying to get. It started before I got to the job interview, preparing myself with answers to any question the interviewer might ask.

Before a negotiation begins, you should prepare for the exchange. This includes identifying the goal of the negotiation, brainstorming multiple solutions and determining what the main negotiation tactic may be. In addition, you should create an outline of the main points that you will make during the verbal exchange of the negotiation. You should also take some time to determine which elements of the project you are willing to give up or compromise on in order to reach a successful agreement (Leigh, 2013).

It wasn’t just the answers I needed, but also how to answer each question and also what transition or conversation starter I needed between questions. The goal was to get this job and I needed a good outline to show them that I was the right man for it. Once I had my outline down to confidence, I decided to go into my interview.

When I walked into the room, we started with verbal and non-verbal communication, both wrapped up in a greeting.

In every type of communication scenario, including during negotiations, non-verbal communication is sometimes more important than what is actually being said. You should pay attention to the non-verbal cues of the opposing negotiator as well as to any non-verbal cues he may be portraying. For instance, if someone suddenly crosses his arms across his chest during the discussion, it can indicate that he is disagreeing with what is being said. Paying attention to non-verbal cues can help you to change your strategy (Leigh, 2013).

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