Negotiations can be the best part of being a Buyer or the worst part depending on one's personality and preparedness for a given session. Personally, I think it's one of the best parts of the job. It's the chance to bring months of work and preparation together to reach your goal.
Also, it's interesting to watch all the different personalities at work in a room. Considering that some contracts are worth millions of dollars, the heightened emotional atmosphere will bring out the extremes in people, making the entire experience all the more fascinating.
There are different theories of negotiation styles or approaches. One theory holds that two main ways to categorize negotiations is as either competitive or cooperative.
Competitive Negotiation means that only one side really wins, really gets the "good end of the deal." This is often the type you see played out in television or movie boardrooms. One side is practically beating the other into submission! Think Divorce Court style exchanges.
Cooperative Negotiation means that both sides are "winning." The goal and attitude here mean that the two sides are entering into a partnership that is agreeable and beneficial to both of them. This is not quite so dramatic, hence you are not likely to find it on TV. Think marriage discussions on this one.
Which method do you prefer?
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