I recently wrote a post about being silent during negotiations. That post focused on silence as a response to something said during the negotiations - such as what would happen if you were 16 and asked your father if you could borrow his new Cadilac for a date with a target end time of 3:30 AM (on a school night).
There is another aspect to quietude (yes, that is a word, although I am using it slightly out of its usual context) during negotiations.
Buyers should not be volunteering information during negotiations sessions. Any and all information is fair game for use by the other side. Clearly, Buyers should answer questions honestly, but throwing in extra facts or figures is not only unnecessary, it is a bad business practice.
Another tip is to accept all incoming information with a stone face and voice, not matter how outrageous it seems. An overly emotional response to a proposal may clue the other team in that they have satisfied the Purchasing team and they may stop making concessions.
Chatty Cathy is not welcome at the negotiations table!
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