The Negotiation Tango

Before you can successfully seal a business deal, you need to determine the other party’s negotiating style. Here’s how to work with the four styles of negotiators to reach a win-win situation.

Whether you’re fleshing out prices with vendors or trying to score a sale, negotiation is a fact of work and life. And it’s like a dance, with the other party as your partner on the dance floor. To truly take the lead, you need to understand your partner’s negotiating style and adjust your personal style to mirror theirs. “If the other person does the hip-hop and you do the tango, you’ll step on each other’s toes and start criticizing each other,” says Nicole Schapiro, author of Negotiating For Your Life and owner of Nicole Schapiro & Associates, a Sausalito, California-based company that provides keynote speeches, training seminars and executive coaching.

The four specific negotiating styles used in business, according to Schapiro, are steamroller, datacrat, butterfly and nice guy/nice gal. Here’s what you need to know about each style:

Steamroller. Avoid small talk and get right to the point with a steamroller—she hates wasting time. This “take it or leave it” negotiator is more interested in knowing precisely what it will take to make a deal rather than absorbing background information. “They feel respected when you come in with a solution rather than going over the problem,” Schapiro says. Steamrollers are adept multitaskers, so if they ask you to speak while they’re typing away on a memo, do it. While talking, “use very short, clean language,” Schapiro advises.

Datacrat. A datacrat can never have too many facts—he’s afraid to make decisions without lots of data. “Datacrats want to control the speed of understanding data,” Schapiro says. So if you’re a contractor, provide information on your company’s history, projects you’ve completed, a list of references, price quotes, how your services can help, the type of insurance you carry and more. Submit information in writing when possible. Datacrats feel pressured by face-to-face communication. When you do meet in person, give them plenty of personal space and never, ever interrupt—Datacrats view this as disrespectful, and may withdraw from the conversation.

Butterfly. Start schmoozing. These high-energy extroverts want to connect on a personal level, and they love to be acknowledged. Skip the traditional office meeting and take a butterfly to a popular restaurant in town to see and be seen, or do something unique to grab their attention. And research these individuals ahead of time—are they big fundraisers? Do they head any committees? Bring these accomplishments up during your meeting. One warning: It’s easy to get wrapped up in non-business chitchat, so you’ll want to stay focused. Ask how much time you have together up front to allow enough time to negotiate. Butterflies are visionaries, Schapiro says, so if you want a butterfly to sign a contract for a rental space, for example, discuss what you envision for the rental space if they agree to the deal. Then, “discuss what you will do today to make the future happen,” she says.

Nice guy/nice gal. Afraid of offending others, the nice guy/nice gal is quick to adopt a “sure, whatever you want” stance to make you happy. “They see negotiation as a form of conflict,” Schapiro says. Nice guys/nice gals enjoy inclusion, so get to know them personally. When negotiating, carefully explain the “why” behind your point of view—why your auto repair service’s convenient pick up and delivery service will benefit them, for example. Also inquire how they plan to implement their end of the agreement. “Ask, ‘I will do this; what will you do?’” Schapiro advises.

It’s common to switch styles depending on the situation. And chances are, you’ll need to mix traits from all four styles—after you analyze the bottom line at the end of each stage in the negotiation process, you may also develop creative alternative solutions. In fact, taking one style to the extreme can be dangerous, Schapiro warns, because you’ll be reactive rather than proactive. Think of it as fleeing to one corner of the dance floor rather than meeting your partner in the middle.

Now that you’re familiar with the four negotiating styles, stay tuned. Next month’s Business Tips article will focus on successful negotiation strategies.

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