Negotiations in English

2023年12月24日發(作者：蒼海桑田)

Negotiations in English

One of the most important skills anyone can hold in daily life is the ability to negotiate.

In general terms, a negotiation is a resolution of conflict. We enter negotiations in order

to start or continue a relationship and resolve an issue. Even before we accept our first

jobs, or begin our careers, we all learn how to negotiate. For one person it begins with the

negotiation of an allowance with a parent. For another it involves negotiating a television

schedule with a sibling. Some people are naturally stronger negotiators, and are capable

of getting their needs met more easily than others. Without the ability to negotiate, people

break off relationships, quit jobs, or deliberately avoid conflict and uncomfortable

situations.

In the world of business, negotiating skills are ud for a variety of reasons, such as to

negotiate a salary or a promotion, to cure a sale, or to form a new partnership. Here are

a few examples of different types of negotiations in the business world:

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Manager and Clerk: Negotiating a promotion

Employer and Potential Employee: Negotiating job benefits

Business Partner A and B: Making decisions about investments

Company A and Company B: Negotiating a merger

Customer and Client: Making a Sale

The Art of Negotiating

Negotiating is often referred to as an "art". While some people may be naturally more

skillful as negotiators, everyone can learn to negotiate. And, as they often say in business,

everything is negotiable. Some techniques and skills that aid people in the negotiating

process include:

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Aiming high

Visualizing the end results

Treating one's opponent with respect and honesty

Preparing ahead of time

Exhibiting confidence

Throughout this lesson, we will review important techniques and skills to learn before

negotiating. We will also examine certain tactics your opponents may u at the

negotiating table. The pages are designed to prepare you for for negotiating in English

in the business world, but they will also help you achieve your goals in everyday life.

Ca Study

For the purpo of this lesson, we will follow the negotiations taking place at a fictional

company called Landscape Labourers. Markus, a landscaper who has been with this

company for five years, believes he is underpaid. He also thinks he derves more

niority over his crew members. Markus's manager, Louis is also the owner of

Landscape Labourers. Though Louis values Markus more than any of his other labourers,

he isn't sure that he can afford to pay him more, especially at this time of year when work

is unsteady.

Read through the lesson and find out how Markus prepares his ca and prents it to

management, and how the two parties negotiate and achieve their goals.

Vocabulary

Word

Part of speech

alternatives

noun

Meaning Example Sentence

other options We can't offer you the rai you

requested, but let's discuss some

other alternatives.

Could you amplify on your

proposal plea.

We're better to ttle this between

us, becau a formal arbitration

will cost both of us money.

We bargained on the last issue

for over an hour before we agreed

to take a break.

I'll accept a rai of one dollar per

hour, but that's my bottom-line.

This is a collective concern, and

it isn't fair to discuss it without

Marie prent.

If you are willing to work ten

extra hours a week we will

compensate you by paying you

overtime.

I'd be willing to comply if you

amplify

verb

arbitration

noun

expand; give more information

conflict that is addresd by

using a neutral third party

bargain

verb

try to change a person's mind by

using various tactics

bottom-line

noun

collective

adj

the lowest one is willing to go

together

compensate

verb

make up for a loss

comply agree

verb can offer me my own private

office.

changing one's mind/terms

slightly in order to find a

resolution

a thing that is granted or

accepted

general term for negotiations

We are willing to compromi

on this issue becau it means so

much to you.

I think we can offer all of the

concessions, but not all at once.

It is impossible to engage in

conflict resolution when one of

the parties refus to listen.

I confronted my boss about

being undervalued, and we're

going to talk about things on

Monday.

It would be great if we could

come to a connsus by 5:00

P.M.

I have appreciated your

cooperation throughout the

negotiations.

In their counter proposal they

suggested that we keep their

company name rather than

creating a new one.

Before we could start our

counterattack they suggested we

sign a contract.

I tried to clo the discussions at

noon, but my counterpart would

not stop talking.

In the past I have had little

respect for that client, but today

she spoke cordially and listened

compromi

verb

concession

noun

conflict

resolution

noun

confront

verb

prent an issue to someone

directly

connsus

noun

agreement by all

cooperation

noun

the working together

counter

proposal

noun

the offer/request which is

prented cond in respon to

the first proposal

counterattack

verb/noun

prent other side of an issue

counterpart

noun

person on the other side of the

negotiations

cordially

verb/noun

politely

to my point of view.

demands

adv

needs/expectations that one side

believes it derves

They had some last minute

demands that were entirely

unrealistic.

When the discussions came to a

deadlock we wrote up a letter of

intent to continue the negotiations

next week.

I was hoping to avoid discussing

last year's dispute, but Monica is

still holding a grudge.

Max has such a loud voice, he

tends to dominate the

conversations.

My contract says that I am

entitled to full benefits after six

months of employment.

We have always been flexible in

terms of your working hours.

We've been haggling over this

issue for too long now.

I want you to know that we don't

have any hostility towards your

company despite last year's

mixup.

I'm planning to high-ball my

expectations when I open the

discussion.

I acted on impul when I signed

that six-month contract.

They were so indecisive we

finally asked them to take a break

deadlock

noun

point where neither party will

give in

dispute

noun

argument/conflict

dominate

verb

have the most control/stronger

prence

entitled

adj

be derving of

flexible

adj

haggling

verb

hostility

noun

open/willing to change

arguing back and forth (often

about prices)

long-term anger towards another

high-ball

verb

make a request that is much

higher than you expect to

receive

quick decision without thought

or time

has difficulty choosing/making a

decision

impul

noun

indecisive

adj

and come back next week.

leverage

noun

(bargaining power) something

that gives one party a greater

chance at succeeding over

another

trading one favour for another

We have a little bit of leverage

becau we are the only

stationary company in town.

log-rolling

verb

After a bit of log-rolling we came

to an agreement that plead both

of us.

I was expecting my boss to low-ball in the initial offer, but he

propod a fair salary increa.

They misled us into thinking that

everything could be resolved

today.

The decision to call off the

merger was mutual.

My prime objective is to have my

family members added to my

benefits plan.

From my point of view it makes

more n to wait another six

months.

He pressured me to accept the

terms by using intimidation

tactics.

While I listened to their proposal

I noted each of their objectives.

His positive body language

demonstrated that he was

receptive to our suggestions.

Mary's rentment stems from

our not choosing her to head the

low-ball

verb

offer something much lower

than you think the opponent will

ask for

convince by altering or not

telling the whole truth about

something

agreed by both or all

mislead

verb

mutual

adj

objective

noun

goal for the outcome

point of view

noun

person's ideas/ thoughts

pressure

verb

work hard to convince another

of an idea

proposal

noun

receptive

adj

argument to prent

open to/interested in an idea

rentment

noun

anger held onto from a previous

conflict

project.

resistance

noun

resolve

verb

a display of opposition We didn't expect so much

resistance on the final issue.

Before you can resolve your

differences you'll both need to

calm down.

There are certain tactics that all

skillful negotiators employ.

There was a lot of tension in the

room when George threatened to

quit.

Lower payments over a longer

period of time sounded like a fair

trade-off until we asked about

interest charges.

His ultimatum was that if I didn't

agree to give him the rai he

asked for, he'd quit today without

two week's notice.

It's unrealistic to think that we

will have all of our demands met.

We considered it a victory

becau they agreed to four of our

five terms.

The client will only yield to our

conditions, if we agree to work

over the holiday weekend.

end conflict, come to an

agreement

tactics

noun

tension

noun

strategies ud to get one's goals

met

feeling of stress/anxiety caud

by heavy conflict

trade-off

noun

terms that are offered in return

for something el

ultimatum

noun

a final term that has rious

conquences if not met

unrealistic

adj

victory

noun

very unlikely to happen

a win

yield

verb

Ostensible

to give in to another's requests