Negotiations & Persuasion

Business Negotiations & Persuasion

Negotiation is a core business skill. Whether negotiating a salary, a contract price, or a partnership deal, the right language and mindset make all the difference.

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The BATNA Principle

BATNA = Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement

Before any negotiation, ask yourself:

"If this deal falls through, what is my best alternative?"

Knowing your BATNA gives you confidence and a clear "walk-away" point.

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Negotiation Phases

Phase	Purpose	Key Language
Opening	Establish rapport, state the agenda	"Thank you for meeting with us today. I'd like to discuss…"
Exploring	Understand both parties' needs	"Help me understand your main priorities here."
Proposing	Make offers and counter-offers	"What we're prepared to offer is…"
Bargaining	Exchange concessions	"If you can move on the timeline, we can adjust the price."
Closing	Reach agreement	"I think we have a deal. Let's confirm the details in writing."

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Key Negotiation Phrases

Opening:

• "Thank you for this opportunity to discuss…"
• "I'd like to start by understanding your position on…"

Making an offer:

• "We would be willing to offer…"
• "Our initial proposal is…"
• "We can commit to [X] under the following conditions…"

Counter-offering:

• "We appreciate the offer, however, we were expecting something closer to…"
• "That figure is a little beyond our budget. Could we explore…?"
• "We'd be more comfortable with [X]."

Buying time:

• "That's an interesting proposal. Could we have a moment to discuss internally?"
• "I'd like to get back to you on that by tomorrow."

Conditional language (If…then):

• "If you can guarantee delivery by March, then we'd be prepared to increase the order."
• "We could agree to that price, provided the payment terms are extended to 60 days."

Seeking clarification:

• "Could you clarify what is included in that price?"
• "Just to confirm, does that include the maintenance contract?"

Reaching agreement:

• "I believe we've reached a mutually acceptable arrangement."
• "Let's put that in writing and move forward."
• "I'm glad we could find common ground."

Declining politely:

• "We appreciate the offer, but regrettably it doesn't meet our requirements at this stage."
• "We're not in a position to accept those terms at this time."

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The "Conditional" Technique

Always link concessions to conditions. Never give something away for nothing:

Weak	Strong
"OK, we'll lower the price."	"We could lower the price if you increase the volume order."
"Fine, we'll extend the deadline."	"We're willing to extend the deadline provided the deposit is paid upfront."
"Alright, we'll add that service."	"We can include that service on the condition that the contract is extended to 24 months."

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Persuasion Techniques

1. Social proof — "Most of our clients in this sector have found that…"
2. Reciprocity — "We've already made concessions on X; we'd appreciate your flexibility on Y."
3. Scarcity — "This pricing is only available until end of the month."
4. Authority — "Our research shows that…" / "Industry data indicates…"
5. Commitment — "Based on what you've said, it sounds like we're both committed to a long-term partnership."

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Cross-Cultural Negotiation (Nigeria & Global)

Nigerian Context	Global/Western Context
Relationship-building before business	Business-first approach
Indirect refusals ("We'll look into it")	More direct "No" or "That doesn't work"
Hierarchy matters — decisions may go up the chain	Decisions often made by the negotiator present
Patience with silence	May interpret silence as discomfort
Verbal agreements carry weight	Always want written agreements

Tip: When negotiating internationally, a Nigerian team should always follow up verbal agreements with a written summary email immediately.