Useful expressions for negotiating

For successful negotiations you need to consider the personalities of the people involved, their culture, and their level of English. Using diplomatic language to build a relationship and reach a compromise is vital. Here are expressions you can use during each stage of the process:

1. Starting the negotiation

• Let’s get down to business, shall we?
• Shall we get started?
• Let’s make a start, shall we?

2. Stating your position/ purpose

• What we are looking for is...
• Our main concern is...
• There are two main areas that we would like to discuss…
• We have little/ no room for movement on price…

3. Finding out what the other side is looking for/ wants

• Would your team consider...
• Can I clarify your position on...?
• Would you consider/ be willing to...
• How feasible is it for you to...?
• What are your views on...?
• Would you be able to...?

4. Offering a compromise

The use of modal auxiliary verbs and conditional clauses will help you set out what you are willing to accept as a compromise.

• We can accept that if  you...
• We might/ may be able to...
• We would be able to...
• Would you be willing to...?
• We may accept your offer on condition that...
• We could offer you ... if you can agree on...

5. Checking understanding

• When you say, ‘improve on the offer’, what do you mean?
• Have I got this right? You said you could finalise that by December?
• If I understand you correctly, you said you could finalise that by December.

6. Clarifying

• Could you clarify your last point for me?
• Does anything I have suggested/ proposed seem unclear to you?

7. Rejecting an offer

To soften bad news use these expressions before you give the bad news:

• Unfortunately...
• I am afraid...
• Sorry...

For example:

• I am afraid (your proposal) is out of the question.
• I am sorry, but we cannot accept that.
• That’s really not an option I am afraid.

8. Asking for a reaction to the offer

• How does that sound to you?
• Would that be acceptable?

9. Nearing settlement

• The last sticking point is...
• There are just a few loose ends to tie up...

10. Agreeing and closing the deal

• That seems acceptable/ reasonable to us.
• I think we have a deal.
• I think we can agree to that.
• I think we have covered everything, that’s a deal.

11. A final point on being polite

There are several techniques in English to sound more polite; moving away from the focus of ‘you’ can make you sound less direct and therefore polite. Here is an example:

• Perhaps I am not making myself clear.

The use of ‘perhaps’ helps to soften the sentence.

Good luck!

Glossary

Vital: necessary, important.

Concern: to be connected or related with.

Movement: the act, process or result of moving.

Acceptable: capable or worthy of being.

Reasonable: moderate, logical.

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