Negotiating

Brief definition: to deal or bargain with another or others, as in the preparation of a treaty or contract or in preliminaries to a business deal.

Negotiation typifies and generates the ways we communicate through written or spoken texts. We can distinguish three kinds of negotiation in term of the main purposes they serve in particular contexts of communication:

1. Personal Negotiation
2. Interactive Negotiation
3. Procedural Negotiation

Let’s see some expressions about how to negotiate:

• Let me just outline our position.
• Let me just explain what we’re looking for.
• In exchange, we can offer…
• This would benefit you in two ways: Firstly…
• That would be very difficult for us.
• I would need to speak to my manager before agreeing anything.
• I’d like to give that some thought before giving you definite answer.
•  Would you be prepared to offer us a discount?
• Can you move on the price at all?
• If we were to…, would you be willing to…?
• Try to look at it from our perspective. / Put yourself in our shoes.
• In principle, that sounds fine.
• I think that sounds fair.
• Just to recap what we’ve agreed…
• The bottom line for us is…
• Put yourself in our shoes.
• Put your cards on the table.
• Find common ground.
• A stumbling block / sticking point.
• You drive a hard bargain.

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