Successful negotiators do not take language for granted. Spoken and written language is the instrument of negotiation. Understanding and using its power is central to managing and influencing the process of exchanging information and discussing ideas in order to reach agreement and achieve goals.
The aims of "The Language of Negotiation" are to heighten awareness of the role of language, and to suggest practical ways language-related tactics can be used to get results. Specific strategies are indexed for ease of reference. Throughout, there are exercises and examples to review practice and to experiment with new skills.
Joan Mulholland explains the role of culture, and the qualities and functions of language that are most influential in a negotiation. She suggests strategies and specific tactics for managing spoken interaction, for example by controlling the topic or using listening skills to read the situation. She also deals with particular problems such as gaining cooperation and agreement even in adversarial or confrontational situations, handling cross-cultural encounters, controlling media interviews and conducting negotiations by telephone.
Written in a style that avoids unnecessary technical terms, "The Language of Negotiation" will be a useful handbook for anyone in business and professional life whose work involves negotiation, from informal exchanges face-to-face or on the telephone, to high-level meetings. Its practical application of recent research in discourse and language pragmatics will also be of interest to students of linguistics and communication.