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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS VOCABULARY · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

NEGOTIATING
SKILLS

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1 Warm-up

Match the questions to the answers.

1. What makes a good negotiator?

2. How can you avoid being manipulated in a negotiation by a more cunning negotiator?
3. Why is it important to set goals?
4. How important are ethical standards in negotiations?
5. What’s the difference between sales and negotiation?

a. Both sides in a negotiation must trust that the other party will follow through on promises and
agreements. Therefore, negotiators should create a trusting environment.
b. For a negotiation to succeed, you need a clear sense of what you want the result to be. If you don’t
have specific goals in mind, you probably won’t leave the negotiation with a result that’s best for
your business.
c. The main difference is that selling is a process of trying to match what the seller is offering to what
the buyer needs. Negotiation is the process of agreeing the terms of the deal and is part of the
complete selling process.
d. Well, you need to be aware of the situation and its risks. Find out as much as you can before the
negotiation and research your own needs very carefully, including a deep understanding of what
you don’t need. Don’t be afraid to walk away from a negotiation if you’re not sure about something.
e. You need to have good interpersonal skills and the ability to build long-term relationships. You also
need good listening skills and you should be able to control your emotions.

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NEGOTIATING SKILLS

2 Key words

Look at the words below and complete the sentences on the next page.

achievable compromise intangible

terms of payment time-bound upfront

a. The goal is – it has a clear starting date and a clear end date.
b. Increasing profits by 500% next year is impossible. You need to make sure that your goals are
.
c. "What are your ?" "You have 30 days to make the payment after receiving the
product."
d. The buyer wanted a 20% discount but we offered 10%. In the end, we decided to
– we gave him 15%.
e. You can’t measure things, such as trust and reputation.
f. We had to pay 50% and 50% after receiving the goods.

3 Setting objectives

Complete the text with the following headings:

Prioritise your goals Be SMART Determine the other side’s goals Tangible vs. intangible

Setting objectives
How to negotiate the smart way

1
Try to set goals that are Specific, Measurable,
Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. When your
goals are "SMART", it’s the more likely that you’ll
achieve them. For example, if you have a goal such
as "We want a cheaper price," it would be better to
be more specific and realistic, for example "We want
different types of objectives. For example, a company
with a negative history of harming the environment
may enter a negotiation with the local government
with a goal of improving its reputation, even if that
means making a not-so-great deal on other more
measurable things such as price.
4

a 10% decrease".
2
During a negotiation, each side may have more than
one objective. For example, if you’re negotiating with
a supplier, your primary goal may be to decrease
your costs, but you might care less about terms of
payment. Choosing the most important goals lets you
know what you can compromise on.
3
It’s useful to think about what your opponent wants.
This will make it easier to look for common ground
and find a win-win result. One way of determining
what the other side really wants is to make two or
three offers and see which one is more attractive to
them. For example, let’s say you propose to pay your
supplier upfront rather than over a longer period.
If they seem very interested in this, that’s useful
information.

People who are involved in a negotiation may have

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

NEGOTIATING SKILLS

4 Collocations

Match the verbs on the left to the words on the right to form phrases from the text. Then create your
own sentence for each phrase.

1. set a. a negotiation

2. decrease b. an offer

3. make c. common ground

4. enter d. costs

5. look for e. goals

6. pay f. upfront

5 Interpersonal skills

Good interpersonal skills are essential for effective negotiations. Complete the table below with the
skills below.

active listening assertiveness decision making problem solving rapport building

Skill Examples

Smiles combined with nods of the head can be a powerful way of

showing that you are listening to and understand what the other person
is saying.

Use ‘safe topics’ for initial small talk and look for shared experiences or
circumstances.

Identifying the real pros and cons of each particular action will help you
to make the best choice.

Stay calm and be very clear about what you want. Don’t give up.

Try to understand what the underlying issues are.

Work in pairs. Which of the skills above do you think are the most important.

6 Talking point

Think of a time when you negotiated a deal. Did you use any of the skills and strategies mentioned
in this lesson? Which ones?

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