Defining and Understanding the above Roles.

TEAM MEMBER ROLES	TEAM MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES
Leader: This is the person with most expertise but, not the most senior person in the team.	Conducts negotiations, deciding on matters and orchestrating members of the team.
Good Guy: This is the person with whom the opposing team will identify as the only opponent.	Expresses sympathy and understanding of the opposition points and lulls the opposition into false confidence and relaxation
Bad Guy: This is the person with whom the opposition feels they can’t do business with or come to an agreement in these negotiations.	Strives to frustrate negotiations, undermining the arguments put forward by opposition, exposing their weaknesses.
Hard Liner: This person takes a tough line in everything presented by the opposition and is deferred to by tour team members.	Delays progress using tactics, recording everything and keeping the team focused on objectives of negotiations.
Sweeper: This person summarising all the points and presenting them for agreement as a reasonable cogent case for the team.	Suggesting solutions to avoid deadlocks, focusing on main issues, pointing out any inconsistencies of the opposition team.
Pessimist: This person argues that negotiations are a waste of time.	Strives to demoralise the opposition saying we are wasting our time negotiating. Strike.

Types of Negotiating Locations can influence the process and speed of negotiations.

TYPE OF LOCATION	ADVANTAGES OF LOCATION FACTORS
Home Ground is a company office room in the building is also called your home territory	Easy for strategic interruptions, easy to call for in-house experts support, but difficult to avoid interruptions from colleagues.
Neutral ground a hired public room is considered a neutral ground	Neither party has an advantage over the other because of familiarity of location
Away Ground is an office room belonging to the other negotiating party	Disadvantages of the AWAY party can delay proceedings by referring back to their office for expert support and advice.

Seating Positions or Plans for Negotiations

The seating positions during negotiations can greatly influence the process and even the outcome. The “across the table” sitting position is common. Position each member of your team where their skills will be most useful and in a way that presents a united front. The “Bad Guy” usually sits at the end of the table separated from the rest of the team. The “Good Guy” next to the “Bad Guy” the “Leader” sits centrally in the middle, followed by the Hard-Liner and the “Sweeper” at the end of the other side of the table opposite the “Bad Guy”

To soften the opposition their hard-liner (on your home ground) use a round table for negotiations and position the hard-liner of the opposition next to your leader. Eye contact with the opposition helps you to read the mood of the opposition and also helps leader to get feedback from your own team members. However, you can also exploit the absence of eye contact to disorientate the opposition.

If negotiations are amongst many parties with representatives from each party, such as at the (United Nations, the International Monetory Fund etc) place negotiators in a circle and arrange for individuals to speak from a podium. However, if the negotiations are between several parties with large numbers of representatives, then divide them into small seating groups facing each other like in the British Parliament.

Your seating position should depend on the dynamics you want to produce, if you want to split the opposition, seat between them and if you want to present a united front seat together; and in order to undermine the opposition, place your leader at the head of the table to create the impression that your leader is in control of the proceedings; THE BOSS.

Conducting Negotiations

Negotiating is as much about listening and observing as it is about talking. You need to be very alert (using all your senses to pick up signs and signals given by others) because the mood of negotiations can change very quickly.

You should; Listen to what the other parties say; Listen to how they say it and Observe their non-verbal cues and signals.

Points to remember during negotiations on reading body Language

1 Clear-cut body language: crossing of arms and legs betrays defensiveness.

2 Leaning backwards on a chair expresses boredom and waning interest.

3 Hesitating or fidgeting can indicate lack conviction.

4 Raised eyebrows are a clear sign of surprise.

5 Glancing at each other can indicate that an important point has been reached.

6 Speaking slowly and deliberately indicates feeling confident and at ease.

7 Smiling unnecessarily and speaking quickly indicates nervousness.

8 Looking at ones feet and towards the exit indicates wanting to leave.

9 A confident handshake shows respect and openness; a forceful one shows dominance

Making a Proposal

It is essential that to decide whether you are going to make a proposal at the start of your negotiations or respond to the opposition proposal. If you do make a proposal first, make sure you leave yourself room to maneuver; and make your proposal hypothetical so as to leave scope for both sides to make concessions at any time, However, your decision to speak first is crucial in negotiations, but do not start speaking until you have something to say.

Furthermore, do not try to pin-down the opposition to a fixed position too early as they also need room to maneuver.