Pregovori su složeni jer se radi i sa činjenicama i sa ljudima. Jasno je da pregovarači prije svega moraju dobro razumjeti temu. Moraju biti svjesni opšte politike kompanije, početne pregovaračke pozicije kao i rezervne pozicije.
Međutim, svijest o ovim činjenicama ne mora nužno biti dovoljna za postizanje sporazuma. Mora se uzeti u obzir uloga ljudskog faktora. Na pristup i strategiju u pregovorima utiču hladne, jasne logičke analize. Ali lične potrebe glumaca se stoga moraju uzeti u obzir. Ove potrebe mogu uključivati potrebu za prijateljstvom, dobrom voljom, kredibilitetom, priznanjem statusa i autoriteta, želju da budete cijenjeni i unapređeni, kao i potrebu da se kući vratite ranije u petak uveče.
Istraživanja, koja su proučavala pregovore, preporučuju odvajanje ljudi od činjenica. Štaviše, tokom pregovora treba koristiti indirektne i bezlične forme. Štaviše, zaista čvrst pregovarač treba da bude strog prema činjenicama, ali blag prema ljudima.
Jezik takođe varira u zavisnosti od usvojenog stila pregovaranja: može biti ili kooperativni ili takmičarski način. Kooperativni stil se zasniva na principima win-win kada obje strane žele da imaju koristi od dogovora. Ovaj stil je često prihvaćen unutar jedne kompanije ili između kompanija sa dugogodišnjim odnosima kada se teže zajedničkim ciljevima. Konkurentski stil pregovaranja može biti prikladan za jednokratne ugovore kada je cilj postizanje najboljih mogućih rezultata bez razmatranja budućih odnosa i rizika od neuspeha pregovora. Štaviše, jezik može postati neprijateljski i prijeteći.
U stvarnosti pregovori su složen način kooperativnih i kompetitivnih stilova. Uspješno pregovaranje podrazumijeva bavljenje četiri glavne komponente pregovora: ljudi, činjenice, saradnja i konkurencija.
Negotiations are complex because one is dealing with both facts and people. It is clear that negotiators above all must have a good understanding of a subject. They must be aware of the company`s general policy, initial bargaining position as well as fallback position.
However, awareness of these facts may not necessarily suffice to reach the agreement. The role of human factor must be taken into account. The approach and strategy in negotiations are influenced by cool, clear logical analyses. But the personal needs of the actors must therefore be considered. These needs might include the need for friendship, goodwill, credibility, recognition of status and authority, a desire to be appreciated and promoted as well as the need to get home earlier on Friday evening.
Researches, who have studied negotiations, recommend separate people from facts. Moreover, while negotiations indirect and impersonal forms should be used. Furthermore, a really tough negotiator should be hard on the facts but soft on the people.
Language also varies according to negotiating style adopted: it can be either a co-operative or a competitive mode. Cooperative style is based on win-win principles when both parties want to benefit from the deal. This style is often accepted within one company or between companies with longstanding relations when common goals are being pursued. Competitive negotiation style can be appropriate for one-off contracts when the aim is to get the best results possible without considering future relations and risks of the breakdown of negotiations. Moreover, the language can become hostile and threatening.
In reality negotiations are a complex mode of co-operative and competitive styles. Negotiating successfully implies dealing with four main components of negotiations: people, facts, co-operation and competition.