The Virtual Negotiator

Social science studies show that negotiating face to face with your counterpart yields better outcomes for both parties than negotiating via email. The benefits of being able to build rapport, spot body language and so on are well established principles of negotiating.

But what if you can’t easily meet up with the other party to negotiate? A question that is even more relevant today, with most of the globe under lockdown for the next few months.

Here are a few tips to help you negotiate remotely more effectively.

1) Think about your media of communication

The world seems to have gone “Zoom” mad, but for good reason. The opportunity, if not to rub shoulders your counterpart, is still there to see and hear them through your webcam and to build rapport and relationships. Far more effective than a cold, transactional email containing factual information and blunt phrases. Don’t be a lazy negotiator; set up a virtual meeting rather than just sending an email.

2) Take time out to prepare

You may be spending less time travelling than normal, but you’re still working hard remotely. Now, is an excellent opportunity to put that time aside to plan and prepare. This is the most important negotiator behaviour in my view, so don’t waste the chance to do your homework on upcoming negotiations. Study the market; identify how different business sectors are faring in the current climate and look for opportunities to generate value.

3) The principle of reciprocity

In challenging times, there will be pressure on your business as well as theirs. However, when we return to better times, people will remember how you behaved during their hour of need. Take this opportunity to help or give even something small to the other party, and it’s likely they will return the favour sometime in the future.

4) Self-disclosure

American behavioural researcher, Don Moore et al conducted a study to identify whether they could improve outcomes of remote negotiations. They took two groups of students and asked them to conduct a remote negotiation. One group was told just to negotiate a deal, but the other group was told that they had to share some biographical information about themselves to the other party before negotiating – a form of self-disclosure. The outcomes showed that 29% of the non-disclosure negotiators failed to get to a deal whilst only 6% of the self-disclosure group failed. What we can take from this experiment is that there is significant benefit it spending time before remote negotiations to build bridges with the other party, and to establish rapport before getting down to business.