Inter- an-company negotiations

From his research, Morris has deduced that email is not subject to a spiral of misinterpretation and mistrust if the introduction thereof into the negotiation process is preceded by a well-established basis of trust. Based on this finding he has postulated that the use of email in inter-company negotiations, where relationships tend to cushion such interactions, is less subject to misinterpretations and mistrust than in the case of intra-company email negotiations. The latter often being confounded by office politics and the attempts of individuals to use every opportunity to strengthen their influence and power base.

Fortunately modern communications technology (video conferencing and inexpensive computer mounted cameras) has made it possible to enrich email text with personal and rapport-building information. By enhancing the email text with visual, audio and background information many of the liabilities of email can effectively be minimised.

Although email may never be a good initiator of negotiation relationships, it undoubtedly will have an increasingly important role in sustaining such relationships. Our challenge is to use this tool in such a way that it is not merely a channel of cold, hard facts, but is also able to convey the emotional and social information that is a requirement for a sound long-term relationship.

Negotiating Skills – The 3 Characteristics of a Negotiation

In business we negotiate with both suppliers and customers. We also negotiate within our organizations, for example with colleagues and team members. Think for a minute about the hundreds of deals you make every year - with your boss, your customers, your suppliers and colleagues. Whilst there are an infinite variety of negotiation scenarios, most negotiations are defined by 3 characteristics:

There is a conflict of interest between two or more parties. What one wants is not necessarily what the others want.

Either there is no established set of rules for resolving the conflict, or the parties prefer to work outside of an established set of rules to develop their own solution.

The parties prefer to search for an agreement rather than to fight openly, to have one side capitulate, to break off contact permanently or to take their dispute to a higher authority.

The principles of negotiation are not dependent on the identity of the parties involved, their cultures or the amounts at stake. The skill of negotiation can be applied universally - whether you are seeking a promotion, commissioning a nuclear power plant or simply buying a used car.

Negotiating Skills – The Critical Factors

The actual negotiation process depends on the following factors:

• The goals and interests of the parties

• The perceived interdependence between the parties

• The history that exists between the parties

• The personalities of the people involved

• The persuasive ability of each party

Negotiation is a complex communication process, all the more so when one round of negotiations is just an episode in a longer-term commercial or political relationship. In these situations considerations about the longer-term relationship will influence any specific round of talks - and reduce the tendency to maximize short-term gain at any expense.