Types of Negotiators

 

From buying new equipment to countering your child’s plea to stay up another 20 minutes, everyone negotiates at some point. This series is designed to provide helpful tips and tricks to use and watch out for when negotiating.

 

First, let me start by saying that putting someone in a category is not very efficient. Everyone shows traits of multiple categories. The purpose of this two-part article is to identify four common characteristics of negotiators, including strengths and weaknesses of each. 

 

For more detailed information on each of these Social Styles®, as identified and described by the Tracom® Group, see https://www.tracomcorp.com/social-style-training/model/. 

 

I write about these four in hopes that you can identify characteristics used by someone you’re negotiating with and adjust to reach a negotiated outcome. Let us look at the first two negotiator types—Analytical and Drivers—in this two-part article.

 

 

 

Information, facts, and details drive this group, and all options must be reviewed. Finding a deal that is economical and that everyone can agree on is most desired. During negotiations, the process will be an organized step-by-step approach. They will appear to be unemotional as they slowly think through all the information presented.

 

When you are negotiating with someone who is analytical, have your ducks in a row and know that your information is accurate. Keep the conversation business-related. Building rapport is critical and can be achieved through honesty and ethics. Show how an outcome provides additional money, time, or resources. The most important thing, and I cannot stress this enough, is to be patient. If you try to rush an analytical person to a decision, you will most likely kill the deal as they will not have the time needed to thoroughly study and contemplate the deal.

 

The Driver's focus is the bottom line. A Driver, who also might be described as a “shark,” can be impatient and have little regard for detailed information. Moving the negotiation to an agreement is vital. Winning matters most and relationships tend to take a back seat. Self-confident and assertive, Drivers tend to become aggressive in their pursuit of a positive outcome.

 

When negotiating with a Driver, keep the conversation about business, just as you would with someone who is analytical. It will be hard to get a word in at times. To combat this, ask them questions that steer them to find solutions and suggest acceptable alternatives. In the end, understand that nothing in the negotiation was personal, it was just good business.

 

Neither of these types is better than the other. The key is to understand whom you are talking to. Drivers have a strong win mentality, and having them feel successful in the negotiation is important. Analytical negotiators need to take their time and cover all the factors and numbers.

 

The key to all of this is understanding how your counterpart will behave and respond in a negotiation. Then, you will be better able to modify your approach, leading to a better-negotiated outcome.

 

In the next article in this series, learn about two other negotiator types: “Expressive" and “Amiable."