Negotiating: Being vague and being precise © Put the following conversation between a supplier and a client about delivery dates inorder. Amanda: | can confirm that your order has been received and we're processing it as quickly as we can. Tobias: Yes, but | really need to have an exact date of delivery of the shipment. | mean, do you have any idea when it’s going to be? Amanda: Well, if I'm honest, delivery for December 20" doesn’t look very likely, Tobias. Tobias: Couldn't you be more specific, Amanda? We really need to have this model in stock again by December 22". Well, before the Christmas rush is looking tricky, then there's the holiday period, which takes us into January. Tobias: Are you saying that you won't be able to deliver this order until the New Year? Realistically speaking, that’s the way it’s looking. Tobias: If that’s the case, I'd like to cancel our order, then. Amanda: Look, I'm sure we can work something out here. How about a discount for the inconvenience caused? Tobias: What did you have in mind, exactly? | really don’t think we'd be happy with anything less than 10%. Fine, we can work with that. Tobias: OK, so we're agreed on 10% then, ll put that in an e-mail to you today. ¥X¥X ¥ XXX ¥ XH YX YXNegotiating: Being vague and being precise © correct one word that is incorrect in each of these useful expressions for negotiations. We're seeing at an i @Vaunune 9 Seen that you'd | order of two to three thousand. ‘Would you be will to come down a bit on that? ‘Somewhere in the area of 500 euros. I think we could work on that. ‘Supposing we are to make that 12 free samples. Giving that we are likely to be placing large orders, we'd like a 10% discount. ‘Ate you said that you can handle an order of that size each month? Where would you say to a display of your products in our toy department? some free samples, we'd like our logo to be visible. @ Asates manager for a toy manufacturer and the buyer for a leading department store are negotiating a contract to supply toys to the store. Student A You are the buyer for a department store in the negotiations. Use some of the expressions above to negotiate the following agreement. Delivery: You want guaranteed delivery within 48 hours of order. Discount: Ideally, you'd like a discount of 10% on ‘catalogue prices of all orders worth 300 euros or more. But you are willing to be flexible on this point. Display: You may be able to display the manufacturers’ products in a prominent position in the toy department, but not in the shop window, as another toy manufacturer has already paid for that privilege this year. Be vague about this fact, though. Free samples: You'd like about a dozen free samples of the company’s best-selling toys for the children's play area in the store. Size of orders: You think the initial order for soft toys will be 2,000 oF 3,000, but you can’t be precise at this stage. Further orders will depend on sales. You'd like to know if the manufacturer can handle monthly orders of this size. Payment terms: it’s your company's policy to make payment 60 days from date of invoice. You may agree to, less if the company can make some sort of concession. Student B You are the sales manager for the toy manufacturer in the negotiations. Use some of the expressions above to negotiate the following agreement. Delivery: You can generally deliver within 48 hours, butiit depends on the time of year. In the holiday ‘season, it can take up to 72 hours. You want to keep this point a little vague for fear of losing the contract. Discount: You might agree to a discount of 5%-7% on catalogue prices on all orders worth 500 euros or more. Display: You'd like a display of your toys to take prominent position in the store windows during periods when toy sales are high. Free samples: You can offer five or six free samples for the children’s play area in the store, provided the company's logo is clearly visible as a sponsor of the play area. Size of order: You'd like to know how large the orders for soft toys will be. Monthly orders greater than 2,000 may mean you'll need to step up production in that area, but don’t mention this fact to the buyer though. Payment terms: You'd ce payment to be made 30 days from date of invoice, although you realise that most companies want 60 days. You can offer a further 2% discount for prompt payment.Negotiation strategy: avoi Getting started Work together in groups of four. Brainstorm a list of advice for would-be negotiators. Reading ing pitfalls Read the five extracts (A-E) from an article containing advice for negotiators. Decide which extract each sentence (1-8) below refers to. Write A, B, C, D or E in the boxes. LAvoid annoying your oppo Consider ¥ Don’t give your opponents ev Get your oppone! I's not always necessary to compromise, Make what you 7 Rem You should decide in ad yu Is today may be ve smber that your oppone sstul negotiators make detalag plans. They know their rovtes and alter : 2 5 shouldtheytetoreachan ayteemert You must hnow your bottom ling. In adaitton, you need vs Eanstrants andes het opanentsinnego vsisthe only tre youve see your ; on Aer preparing your on agenda. utine the samefor your opponants vat ae then ‘ternatwes. and batiom ine? Once att ve Darganng abe testyour hypothesestodetermne what te appestans pronties [ec Negotiators need to analyse the biases ther opponents ring to the table How wil they evaluate your otfers? One waytoget ‘nse you" opanent's ead and influence his attude sto shape thesssuns fort, atachnique called frarung’ you get yout ‘opgonemtto aceept your wew ofthe stuatan, then you-cer amourtofrskhe swilingtotake Acommon rfuancet stake snagotianng rors anegatve tame The tha: fr's eatotters$12 aut we can atorsuny$1Y Yourustgetthemto focus. the pout you ar starting rom — $10.nat $12 You tame theissue pastnvelyiy talking bout attheavaysyour contracts | Aiteror trom the others. You contract bas some advantages outside ofthe rly pay. Theater sie wall ermare wang to sk averages fate purported other erat Talking point ents: they may look for an opportunity for revenge. opponents’ possible demands and what they may tind acceptable hey ask for to took at the deal trom your point of view: offering appear attractive to your opponents. 1 colleagues tomorrow ice What is the lowest amount you are prepared to accept C wit You maymake the conan mist cevorthng when oth partes #9" | Comex anaverlinegstiatn veh thu posswartstotranser manage’ sseager but requenty new BP femust compromise ont ‘es promot : teployee might actualy suagest 913 Accepting a well priced dal too quieky can You ist aused car for $8.00, you mighs sty be hn ‘eter your ist buyer immadateiy writes you ach bargan, now do youtee? Disappointed, the price even tt 9008 about Tatractthe tren rom yousoretine whe ftir eeponprotessons ; ting ours onthe same side the bargainngtabieo LLLLLLLe ake obtinking oucarnot have ‘esame ting For exami 1 8 ala bonus and vacation, ng ala. ‘Sanfrancisco Themanager xt sncethe boss gave na Toe ert Alana HesasychOlRQy to Vitake te me” ofacconting $4500 8 $5.00 ethout trying to {ovilthnk you sole tft ile The tontyta Your manager has decided to run a one-day training course on basic negotiating skills for staff in your department. He has asked you to plan the course. Work in groups of three and decide the following: s stat © whiets ski nal be tay © what activities are most us nities staft should be giv © what opport for Fearing negotiating, skills their new skills into pra