CBN Communication Skills in Negotiation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A negotiator sends a detailed proposal via email, but the counterpart responds with only two lines. What communication principle does this situation highlight?
- Written communication is always inferior to verbal communication in negotiations
- Channel selection affects how richness and nuance are conveyed (Correct answer)
- Short responses always indicate disinterest or a weak BATNA
- Email proposals should never exceed one page
Correct answer: Channel selection affects how richness and nuance are conveyed
Media richness theory holds that complex, ambiguous negotiations benefit from richer channels (face-to-face, video) because they support more cues and faster feedback.
Question 2: What is the primary risk of using jargon or highly technical language when negotiating with a counterpart from a different field?
- It demonstrates expertise and strengthens your credibility
- It can create confusion and make the counterpart feel excluded or inferior (Correct answer)
- It shortens negotiation time by being precise
- It is only risky in international negotiations
Correct answer: It can create confusion and make the counterpart feel excluded or inferior
Specialized language can alienate counterparts who don't share the same vocabulary, creating barriers to trust and mutual understanding.
Question 3: During a multi-party negotiation, one party dominates the conversation. As a skilled negotiator, you should:
- Allow the dominant party to continue to avoid confrontation
- Use inclusive facilitation techniques to draw out quieter parties (Correct answer)
- Side with the dominant party to build an early coalition
- Interrupt the dominant party frequently to establish your own presence
Correct answer: Use inclusive facilitation techniques to draw out quieter parties
Inviting quieter participants to speak ensures that all interests are surfaced, which is essential for durable agreements in multi-party settings.
Question 4: What does the term 'anchoring effect' refer to in the context of negotiation communication?
- The tendency of negotiators to agree too quickly
- The cognitive bias where the first number offered disproportionately influences the final outcome (Correct answer)
- A technique for building rapport through mirroring
- The strategy of ending negotiations at a fixed deadline
Correct answer: The cognitive bias where the first number offered disproportionately influences the final outcome
The anchoring effect means the first number introduced in a negotiation sets a psychological reference point that influences subsequent offers and counteroffers.
Question 5: When a counterpart says, 'That's simply not possible,' the most effective communication response is to:
- Accept the constraint at face value and move on
- Ask, 'What would need to change for it to become possible?' (Correct answer)
- Increase your demand to create room for compromise
- Restate your original position more forcefully
Correct answer: Ask, 'What would need to change for it to become possible?'
A question that reframes a 'no' as a conditional possibility keeps the negotiation open and uncovers what obstacles actually need to be addressed.
Question 6: Which listening level involves not only hearing words but also interpreting the emotions and intent behind them?
- Passive listening
- Selective listening
- Empathic listening (Correct answer)
- Evaluative listening
Correct answer: Empathic listening
Empathic listening means tuning in to the emotional content and underlying meaning of what is said, not just the literal words.
Question 7: A negotiator uses the phrase 'just between us' before sharing a piece of information. This tactic is most likely intended to:
- Build rapport and a sense of exclusive trust to influence the counterpart (Correct answer)
- Comply with confidentiality agreements
- Signal that the information is irrelevant to the negotiation
- Indicate the negotiator's BATNA
Correct answer: Build rapport and a sense of exclusive trust to influence the counterpart
'Just between us' is a rapport-building tactic designed to create an in-group feeling and make the counterpart more receptive to the information that follows.
CBN Communication Skills in Negotiation 3
A negotiator sends a detailed proposal via email, but the counterpart responds with only two lines.
What communication principle does this situation highlight?