Negotiating Style

Negotiating style is determined by attention given to different stages of negotiating by different nations.

The Japanese treat the negotiating process as a ritual in which the principle of harmony is uppermost. This requires the careful and painstaking establishment of good personal relationships as the first step in the process. The Japanese ask a lot of questions in order to detect points of weakness and they rarely make important decisions or concessions during the negotiations. Direct pressure is rarely used, and they will not respond to pressure tactics. Because of the need for behind-the-scene consensus and harmony-building activities, negotiations with the Japanies take much longer.

Americans tend to use a highly individualistic and informal style of negotiation in which straight speaking and pressure tactics are important. Negotiation is seen as a competitive process of offer and counter-offer, and decisions can be made quickly, often at the negotiation table itself.

The British tend to emphasise the establishment of sociable and sensitive relationships and to see the negotiating process itself in terms of problem-solving rather than hard bargaining and strong strategy.

Individuals can have different negotiating styles and differ in the emphasis placed on particular stages of the negotiation. There are cultural differences too. A German buyer usually moves directly from the relationship building phase to the bidding phase without agreeing procedure or exchanging information. While this is a rather extreme example, German negotiators often move to the bidding phase sooner than may be expected by the other side.

Different national cultures place different emphases on the main selling features of a product or service. The advertisement designed for a British target audience, stresses personal service and benefits to the customer. The advertisement for designed for a German target audience talks about technical features and exemplifies these features by quoting relevant facts. Clearly, when preparing for an international negotiation, it is important to take into account differences of this kind. This is particularly important when working out the focus of questions to establish customer needs.An American or British buyer may expect lots of questions from the seller before any presentation of benefits is made. A German buyer may expect a clear and factual presentation of technical features supported by concrete examples but relatively few questions about needs.

Attitude towards the importance of written documents vary widely. While most cultures expect to sign a written contract at the close of a negotiation in some cultures written records will be produced and signed at earlier stages — e. g. after initial proposals have been made at the bidding stage.

In cultures in which a lot of emphasis is placed on written agreement, negotiations tend rely heavily on the use of legal experts throughout the negotiation. This is particularly true of American negotiations.

The charts below show negotiating styles in terms of: