Negotiating by phone can be difficult. Your negotiating partner is not in the same room as you, s/he is on the other end of a telephone line. Without eye contact, proximity and non-verbal feedback, negotiations tend to be shorter but also tougher. This leads to less information being exchanged and more assumptions being made, as well as misunderstandings occurring when subtle signals are missed. Arguments and demands also sound harder and more audacious than when made face-to-face. This is why it is vital to plan your conversation strategically and with a clear target in mind, and then to take an active lead.

Target group

People who negotiate on the phone or who conduct initial or final negotiations for others.