Negotiating Body Language

How to Read a Person Like a Book

How Does Your Opponent Size You Up?
How Do You Size Up Your Opponent?

The experts at the Negotiation Institute offer the highest quality seminars in the world. Negotiating body language is an important part of these training programs. Social cues, different stances and various poses give off important non-verbal communication information. Two key questions are:

(1) Are You Unknowingly Sending “Signals” Your Opponent Can Read?
(2) Are You Failing To Read Signals Which Are Being Sent to You?

Insights into non-verbal behavior will add to your negotiating strength. You learn to interpret what the other side is saying in addition to their words. At the same time you can become more aware of what your body language is saying to your opponent.

What Does Your Opponent See In Your Gestures
Negotiation seminars help you to become better able to see yourself as your opponent sees you with an analysis of gestures, gesture clusters and attitudes that are all part of your negotiating posture.

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Examples of Body Stances
In these examples of body language, you will note that none of these people indicate a receptive negotiator: These are typical examples of what you will see during a negotiation.

Defensive and Superior His locked ankles indicate he is holding back. His thumb out of pockets shows feelings of superiority. His leaning back shows an air of defiance.

Defensive He is in locked pose. His hand and arm are linked behind his back. He shows that he is frustrated by holding his arms in this position. He is not open to negotiating.

Defensive Crossed arms shows he is defensive. Standing up straight with back arched and chest out shows defiance. One leg forward shows he is aggressive (confident).

Defensive His arms are crossed over his upper chest with his hands clinched. This shows that he is holding back something (anger). Both his legs are together holding his negotiating position.

On the other hand, based on their body positioning, you can see that these people are ready to negotiate.

Ready His hands are on his hips in the British style with elbows pointed back indicates a readiness to negotiate.

Openness He shows confidence with his hands. They are slightly open holding the cigar and the walking stick behind him. He is standing up straight but is in a forward position showing a willingness to negotiate. This person is easy to negotiate with.

Authority His hands are clasped behind his back which indicates authority. Understand this position when negotiating.

Mixed Signal This is a mixed signal. One hand is on his hip (ready). The other hand in his pocket (hiding). Have us present an in-house seminar and learn to be a skilled body language reader. (The pictures are reproduced from Spy Prints)