|
Word
Part of speech |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
|
alternatives
noun |
other options |
We can't offer you the raise you
requested, but let's discuss some other
alternatives. |
|
amplify
verb |
expand; give more information |
Could you amplify on your
proposal please. |
|
arbitration
noun |
conflict that is addressed by using a
neutral third party |
We're better to settle this between us,
because a formal arbitration will cost both
of us money. |
|
bargain
verb |
try to change a person's mind by using
various tactics |
We bargained on the last issue
for over an hour before we agreed to take a break.
|
|
bottom-line
noun |
the lowest one is willing to go |
I'll accept a raise of one dollar per
hour, but that's my bottom-line. |
|
collective
adj |
together |
This is a collective concern,
and it isn't fair to discuss it without Marie
present. |
|
compensate
verb |
make up for a loss |
If you are willing to work ten extra
hours a week we will compensate you by paying
you overtime. |
|
comply
verb |
agree |
I'd be willing to comply if you
can offer me my own private office. |
|
compromise
verb |
changing one's mind/terms slightly in
order to find a resolution
|
We are willing to compromise on
this issue because it means so much to you. |
|
concession
noun |
a thing that is granted or accepted
|
I think we can offer all of these
concessions, but not all at once. |
|
conflict resolution
noun |
general term for negotiations |
It is impossible to engage in
conflict resolution when one of the parties
refuses to listen. |
|
confront
verb |
present an issue to someone directly |
I confronted my boss about being
undervalued, and we're going to talk about things on
Monday. |
|
consensus
noun |
agreement by all |
It would be great if we could come to a
consensus by 5:00 P.M. |
|
cooperation
noun |
the working together |
I have appreciated your cooperation
throughout these negotiations. |
|
counter proposal
noun |
the offer/request which is presented
second in response to the first proposal |
In their counter proposal they
suggested that we keep their company name rather
than creating a new one. |
|
counterattack
verb/noun |
present other side of an issue |
Before we could start our
counterattack they suggested we sign a contract. |
|
counterpart
noun |
person on the other side of the
negotiations |
I tried to close the discussions at
noon, but my counterpart would not stop
talking. |
|
cordially
verb/noun |
politely |
In the past I have had little respect
for that client, but today she spoke cordially
and listened to my point of view. |
|
demands
adv |
needs/expectations that one side
believes it deserves |
They had some last minute demands
that were entirely unrealistic. |
|
deadlock
noun |
point where neither party will give in |
When the discussions came to a
deadlock we wrote up a letter of intent to
continue the negotiations next week. |
|
dispute
noun |
argument/conflict |
I was hoping to avoid discussing last
year's dispute, but Monica is still holding a
grudge. |
|
dominate
verb |
have the most control/stronger presence |
Max has such a loud voice, he tends to
dominate the conversations. |
|
entitled
adj |
be deserving of |
My contract says that I am entitled
to full benefits after six months of employment.
|
|
flexible
adj |
open/willing to change |
We have always been flexible in
terms of your working hours. |
|
haggling
verb |
arguing back and forth (often about
prices) |
We've been haggling over this
issue for too long now.
|
|
hostility
noun |
long-term anger towards another |
I want you to know that we don't have
any hostility towards your company despite
last year's mixup. |
|
high-ball
verb |
make a request that is much higher than
you expect to receive |
I'm planning to high-ball my
expectations when I open the discussion. |
|
impulse
noun |
quick decision without thought or time |
I acted on impulse when I signed
that six-month contract.
|
|
indecisive
adj |
has difficulty choosing/making a
decision |
They were so indecisive we
finally asked them to take a break and come back
next week. |
|
leverage
noun |
(bargaining power) something that gives
one party a greater chance at succeeding over
another |
We have a little bit of leverage
because we are the only stationary company in town.
|
|
log-rolling
verb |
trading one favour for another |
After a bit of log-rolling we
came to an agreement that pleased both of us. |
|
low-ball
verb |
offer something much lower than you
think the opponent will ask for |
I was expecting my boss to low-ball
in the initial offer, but he proposed a fair salary
increase. |
|
mislead
verb |
convince by altering or not telling the
whole truth about something |
They misled us into thinking
that everything could be resolved today. |
|
mutual
adj |
agreed by both or all |
The decision to call off the merger was
mutual. |
|
objective
noun |
goal for the outcome |
My prime objective is to have my
family members added to my benefits plan. |
|
point of view
noun |
person's ideas/ thoughts |
From my point of view it makes
more sense to wait another six months. |
|
pressure
verb |
work hard to convince another of an
idea |
He pressured me to accept the
terms by using intimidation tactics. |
|
proposal
noun |
argument to present |
While I listened to their proposal
I noted each of their objectives. |
|
receptive
adj |
open to/interested in an idea |
His positive body language demonstrated
that he was receptive to our suggestions.
|
|
resentment
noun |
anger held onto from a previous
conflict |
Mary's resentment stems from our
not choosing her to head the project. |
|
resistance
noun |
a display of opposition |
We didn't expect so much resistance
on the final issue.
|
|
resolve
verb |
end conflict, come to an agreement
|
Before you can resolve your
differences you'll both need to calm down. |
|
tactics
noun |
strategies used to get one's goals met
|
There are certain tactics that
all skillful negotiators employ. |
|
tension
noun |
feeling of stress/anxiety caused by
heavy conflict |
There was a lot of tension in
the room when George threatened to quit. |
|
trade-off
noun |
terms that are offered in return for
something else |
Lower payments over a longer period of
time sounded like a fair trade-off until we
asked about interest charges. |
|
ultimatum
noun |
a final term that has serious
consequences if not met |
His ultimatum was that if I
didn't agree to give him the raise he asked for,
he'd quit today without two week's notice. |
|
unrealistic
adj |
very unlikely to happen |
It's unrealistic to think that
we will have all of our demands met. |
|
victory
noun |
a win |
We considered it a victory
because they agreed to four of our five terms. |
|
yield
verb |
to give in to another's requests |
The client will only yield to
our conditions, if we agree to work over the holiday
weekend. |
