The power of
conditionals
Or
How to become a great
negotiator
Gisella Panesi Asca
We are all negotiators,
whether we know it or
not.
Asking for a raise, selecting a restaurant for
lunch with your group of friends or bargaining
with your child, are a few examples of
negotiation we engage in our daily live.
However, while negotiations are a daily
practice, good negotiation requires skills and
the appropriate use of language that are
learned and developed through practice.
Negotiation skills
• Communication: To achieve your ideal outcome at the bargaining table, it’s
essential to clearly communicate what you’re hoping to walk away with and where
your boundaries lie
• Emotional Intelligence: emotions play a role in negotiation; positive
emotions can increase feelings of trust at the bargaining table.
• Planning: Without adequate preparation, you can overlook important terms
of your deal or alternative solutions.
• Value Creation: When participating in a negotiation, you and the other
parties typically try to obtain the biggest “slice of the pie” possible. competing
to maximize your slice inherently means someone will get a smaller piece.
• Strategy: you need a clear understanding of effective negotiation tactics. By
knowing what works and what doesn’t, you can tailor your strategy for every
negotiation.
• Reflection: Reflect on past negotiations and identify areas for improvement.
After each negotiation—successful or not—think about what went well and
what could have gone better. Doing so can allow you to evaluate the tactics
that worked in your favor and those that fell short.
Conditionals in
negotiations
Effective bargaining involves trading concessions:
giving one thing in exchange for another. Inevitably,
this involves a lot of if-sentences (conditionals)
Conditionals are structures in English that establish
what will happen if a certain event takes place or if
a certain action is performed. This means that if a
certain condition is true, a certain result occurs.
Conditionals are sentences with two parts; one part
describes a condition, and the other part describes
the result of that condition.
The condition clause will always start with ‘if’ or
similar. There are three different types of
conditionals.
First conditional
possible
• For example, the sentence ‘I
will go if I feel better’ suggests
a very real or possible future
situation and its result.
• Other examples include ‘If I
finish early today, I’ll go
running after work’ or ‘I might
be late if I don’t leave right
now’.
Conditional clause:
[present simple / Result clause: will, going to, may, might]
Second conditional
possible, but unlikely
• This form is used to express improbable
or impossible present situations and their
results.
• For example, ‘If I had a million dollars, I
wouldn’t have to work’ or ‘I might
consider the job offer if they offered
more benefits’.
The first and second conditional are most
commonly used in business negotiations.
Conditional clause:
[past simple / Result clause: would, could, might]
Third conditional
impossible
• This form is used to express hypothetical
or alternative past situations and their
results.
• For example, ‘If I hadn’t studied business
I wouldn’t have gotten this job’ or ‘We
could have supplied the goods if you had
paid the invoice’.
Conditional clause:
[past perfect / Result clause: would have, could have, might have]
Strategy for successful
negotiations
1. Listen carefully to the arguments of the other party and
assess the logic of their reasoning
2. Clarify issues you are not clear about by asking how, why,
where, when and what questions.
3. List all the issues which are important to both sides and
identify the key issues. Identify any personal agendas.
Question generalisations and challenge assumptions.
4. Identify any areas of common ground.
5. Understand any outside forces that may be affecting the
problem.
6. Keep calm and use assertive rather than aggressive
behaviour. Use tact and diplomacy to diffuse tensions.
Useful expressions
for negotiating
Phase
Expression
Let’s get down to business, shall we?
Shall we get started?
Let’s make a start, shall we?
What we are looking for is...
Stating your
Our main concern is...
position/ purpose There are two main areas that we
would like to discuss…
Finding out what the Would your team consider...
other side is looking Can I clarify your position on...?
for
Would you consider/ be willing to…
We can accept that if you...
Offering a
We might/ may be able to...
compromise
Would you be willing to...?
Starting the
negotiation
Useful expressions
for negotiating
Phase
Expression
Could you clarify your last point for
me?
Clarifying
Does anything I have suggested/
proposed seem unclear to you?
I am afraid (your proposal) is out of
the question.
Rejecting an offer
I am sorry, but we cannot accept that.
That’s really not an option I am afraid.
Asking for a reaction How does that sound to you?
to the offer
Would that be acceptable?
That seems acceptable/ reasonable to
Agreeing and closing us.
the deal
I think we have a deal.
I think we can agree to that.
No matter your strengths
and weaknesses, practice is
a surefire way to develop
your skills.
The more you negotiate
and practice your grammar,
the more prepared you’ll be
in the future.
Thank You
Gisella Panesi Asca
March - 2024