Negotiations in English

PREPARATION AND PLANNINGIn the first century, Cicero, the Roman philosopher and lawyer, wrote: "Ex praeparato, nil desperandum" - preparation reduces trouble. And his adage is still relevant today, because the more thoroughly a negotiation is prepared beforehand, the more likely it is possible to anticipate trouble that might influence a successful outcome.Experienced negotiators prepare by setting realistic objectives, and thinking about flexible scenarios toward different solutions. We used the word scenario because a negotiation is never a script, where the parties always know exactly what to say and when.- SCRIPT:one fixed conversation line- SCENARIO:an imagined, projected or suggested sequence of eventsA scenario will be based around particular key items. Try to be as specific as possible, because unfortunately general objectives tend to render general results. Writing in English in advance will help you to prepare even better. The checklist below may prove a useful tool for developing your ideas for a scenario.