Unit. Negotiations.

1. Read the following international words and give their Russian equivalents:

Contract, communicate, verbally, jargon, paraphrase, identify, presentation, motivation, financial, international.

2. Study the following text.

Business negotiation is an important part of business activities. They 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. The goal of business negotiations should be to obtain a win-win outcome that leaves all parties of a negotiation satisfied. The first step in achieving this outcome involves knowing what the other party wants.

Discover their resources and any background information related to your upcoming deal, and plan out what you are willing to offer in exchange. Negotiation is all about compromise, so if you want something from your client, be prepared to offer something in exchange that is comparable.

Speak openly and honestly. Be clear about what you need from this negotiation and what your motivations are. You are more likely to get what you want when you ask for it directly.

Business people need to be skilled in negotiation tactics and understand how to effectively communicate during the negotiation process.

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.

What is verbally being stated with the negotiation is also important. Negotiators should aim to follow some simple rules during a negotiation, such as never raising voices, not interrupting the other person when he is speaking and avoiding using jargon that may not be easily understood by the other. A negotiator can easily assess the effectiveness of her verbal communication by asking the listener to paraphrase his understanding of the exchange.

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.

While questions that can be answered with one word such as “yes” or “no” have their place in effective communication and negotiations, open-ended questions can reveal much more information. For instance, asking the person what you would have to do to negotiate this deal today and walk away with a signed contract can reveal his objections to the deal. This tells you exactly what you need to focus on and overcome within your presentation. After asking an open-ended question, sit quietly and wait for an answer from the other person. Do not try to fill the silence with further communication.

When involved in business negotiation, a key skill is to listen to what the other party is trying to achieve and to try to understand their personal motivations during the negotiation process. This can help you understand more readily what the other side of the table desire, to enable you to more effectively come up with suggestions that may help the deal through. Listen to what they have to say, and put yourself in their shoes to understand their objectives before taking things forward.

Communication in a negotiation will be smoother and more effective when you request something that is within the reach of your negotiating partner. If you are in the midst of a financial negotiation, do not demand funds that will significantly impact the quality of life of your partner. When all parties are comfortable, your current negotiation will be successful, and you will have better dealings with your negotiating partner in the future, as they will feel respected.

Cultural awareness proves to be an important element of international business negotiations because different cultures have different customs. For instance, some cultures may want to socialize first and talk about personal issues, like families and hobbies, while other cultures expect a strictly business approach to negotiations.

Finally, negotiation is best conducted on friendly, personal terms. It’s easy to create a positive relationship with the other party prior to negotiation, simply through the way you talk and interact with them in the pre-negotiation stages. At the end of the day, negotiation in business is very much about understanding other people and their motivations and desires. People respond better to those that they feel share a good personal bond, and for the limited effort required to achieve that bond it’s well worth it. Negotiation in business with someone you’ve already spoken to and shared a positive relationship with is much easier, and much more likely to produce a mutually beneficial outcome.

3. Learn the following words and expressions:

business negotiation	деловые переговоры
win-win outcome	взаимовыгодный результат
background information	справочная информация
upcoming deal	предстоящее дело, сделка
communication scenario	коммуникационный сценарий
non-verbal cues	невербальные средства общения
opposing negotiator	противоположный участник переговоров
brainstorming	коллективное обсуждение проблем
open-ended question	вопрос, допускающий разные ответы
signed contract	подписанный договор
objection	возражение, несогласие
key skill	ключевое искусство
personal motivation	личная мотивация
сultural awareness	уважение к культуре и традициям других народов
personal issues	личные проблемы