A negotiation is coming to the end. Both parties haven't had any official commitments. Right before leaving the room, the buyer strongly disagrees with supplier's set up prices and requests a discount. The supplier doesn't reply but nods and smiles.
Can the buyer consider these actions as an acceptance?
A. Yes, because smiling shows supplier's readiness in signing the deal off
B. No, because nodding and smiling are etiquette of polite rejection
C. No, because nodding and smiling are not clear signs of neither acceptance nor rejection
D. Yes, because negotiator should rely on non-verbal communications only
Explanation:
Good negotiators are attuned to all stimuli and not just the verbal and written information exchanged. Tone of voice, body language, facial expressions and other clues from TOP are noticed, and with experience and knowledge, interpreted correctly. This interpretation may also involve knowledge of culture norms and values. A smile, a 'yes' and the type of hospitality received, (in the business context), can mean very different things in different international business cultures.
Trained negotiators will consider non-verbal communication (such as nodding and smiling)
and body language as one source of signal from TOP, but will rarely rely wholly on this as a guide to what TOP is thinking or feeling. Furthermore, international and regional cultural considerations must be included here to avoid errors in interpretation. Emotional intelligence also has an important role in forming a more holistic perspective of what TOP may be thinking or feeling.
