Tactics

• clouding the issue by asking detailed questions
• searching for direct answers
• threats and promises
• avoiding concessions
• use of emotional behavior
• the power of silence
• getting beyond ‘yes’

For many, this is the core of the process and some make the mistake of treating this stage as the complete process, where as we have seen that there is much more to the negotiation process. There are a number of different tactics, which we need not go into details about here, save to say that the use of emotional behavior and of silence can both be very effective and also, if badly managed, may lead to a breakdown of negotiations. We bring our knowledge culture to bear again (remember Trompenaars dimension of neutral versus emotion?) Some people are very voluble, often raising their voices, not in anger but to emphasize a point. The British seldom show any emotion in negotiations, often misleading the Italians who may consider them unenthusiastic about a potential deal. The use of silence can also be very effective; it has been known for silence to push a negotiating team to making concessions they would not otherwise have made, in the mistake that the other party was not interested in their proposals. The Chinese and Japanese use this tool very well. Getting beyond 'yes' is again important: what does yes mean, that I am in agreement or that I understand?

This stage of negotiations focuses on efforts to modify the views of other parties to sway them from their current way of thinking. The Japanese negotiator believes that little persuasion should be necessary if the parties have taken the time to understand each other thoroughly. They will also react negatively to open disagreement and aggression. The Japanese tend to listen to persuasive arguments and respond with silence, which means that they will consider the argument presented.

However, American negotiators spend a lot of time and effort on persuasion. They are often aggressive in their attempts to persuade and use tactics such as threats to break off negotiations. Americans are uncomfortable with silence and interpret it to mean that that their arguments have not been understood or the other party is not willing to agree.