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Business negotiations – negotiation styles

We have already written a lot about business negotiations. But we can still write a lot. This time we are starting a series of entries regarding business negotiations in order to organize and group the transferred knowledge. We will start with the Negotiation Personalities.

Characteristics of the Negotiation Personalities

This time we will introduce different negotiation styles, which are the result of a mixture of two dimensions:

Formal – Informal

Dominant – Submissive

The combination of the above allows to define four different negotiation styles:

  1. Locomotive
  2. Engineer
  3. Enthusiast
  4. Friend

Which negotiation style will be adopted in the conversation strategy will affect their course, but also the effect and SATISFACTION on both sides of the table. However, first of all, it will allow you to identify the style of your negotiation partner from the very beginning and give you the opportunity to modify your behaviour. It is worth remembering, however, that self-awareness of your natural preferences and recognition of your partner’s preferred style are crucial.

Negotiation styles: Locomotive

This style is characterized by a large dose of impulsiveness. Emotions prevail and show them – regardless of whether they relate to satisfaction or anger. In this style there is also a lot of room for taking initiative in conversations. Adopting this style may involve excessive imposing one’s own point of view, while devaluing the point of view of the other party. The locomotive focuses on parameters and data.

Negotiation styles: Engineer

It is a style of a person focusing on an analysis of the smallest details. Activity-cooperation is also logic and matter-of-factness. This means that considering the other party’s proposals is pragmatic and devoid of emotional responses or philosophy. An engineer, analyzing data and verifying risk, may have a problem with making decisions.

Negotiation styles: Friend

It’s a style in which the overarching goal is to reach agreement. Characteristic for him is to carefully listen to the other party, conventional behavior with compliance with generally prevailing norms and values, and submission. A friend, thanks to a high level of empathy, is a great mediator.

Negotiation styles: Enthusiast

This style is characterized by high dynamics and a high level of initiative. Generates a lot of ideas, likes to be in the spotlight. Like the Locomotive, he likes to impose tone in negotiations, but what makes him different is the avoidance of clearly defining goals. The enthusiast introduces a mood of openness and gives a feeling to the other party that their needs can be met. Thanks to the high level of creativity, the Enthusiast can find a way out of a situation that is a dead end for others.

How to master negotiation styles?

What we have written above is only an introduction and one element of effective business negotiations. As you can see, the topic is wide, but the key to the success is always a proper preparation . The best method to learn negotiation techniques, practice individual styles and raise your negotiating competences is to continuously train your skills and complement them by participating in negotiation workshops that match your current level of knowledge, or regularly meeting negotiation sparring partners. Interestingly, the negotiation sparring partner can adapt his attitude to your specific project and empathize with the role of a your business partner. In the course of the Eveneum negotiation workshop, we analyze the negotiating style of each participant, and in the case of Negotiation Coaching we discuss it in detail in the Negotiating E-360 – the individual profile of the negotiator.