Questions 15– 20

　　Read the following article on negotiating techniques and the question on the opposite page .

　　For each question 15 – 20 , mark one letter (A, B, C or D ) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose.

　　The Negotiating Table:

　　You can negotiate virtually anything. Projects, resources, expectations and deadlines are all outcomes of negotiation.

　　Some people negotiate deals for a living. Dr Herb Cohen is one of these professional talkers, called in by companies to

　　negotiate on their behalf . He approaches the art of negotiation as a game because, as he is usually negotiating for somebody

　　else, he says this helps him drain the emotional content from his conversation. He is working in a competitive field and

　　needs to avoid being too adversarial. Whether he succeeds or not, it is important to him to make a good impression so that

　　people will recommend him.

　　The starting point for any deal, he believes, is to identify exactly what you want from each other. More often than not,

　　one party will be trying to persuade the other round to their point of view. Negotiation requires two people at the end

　　saying ‘yes”. This can be a problem because one of them usually begins by saying “no”. However, although this can make

　　talks more difficult, this is often just a starting point in the negotiation game. Top management may well reject the idea

　　initially because it is the safer option but they would not be there if they were not interested.

　　It is a misconception that skilled negotiators are smooth operators in smart suits. Dr Cohen says that one of his

　　strategies is to dress down so that the other side can relate to you. Pitch your look to suit your customer. You do not need

　　to make them feel better than you but, For example, dressing in a style that is not overtly expensive or successful will make

　　you more approachable. People will generally feel more comfortable with somebody who appears to be like them rather than

　　superior to them. They may not like you but they will feel they can trust you.

　　Dr Cohen suggests that the best way to sell your proposal is by getting into the world of the other side. Ask questions

　　rather than give answers and take an interest in what the other person is saying, even if you think what they are saying is

　　silly. You do not need to become their best friends but being too clever will alienate them. A lot of deals are made on

　　impressions. Do not rush what you are saying---put a few hesitations in , do not try to blind them with your verbal

　　dexterity. Also, you should repeat back to them what they have said to show you take them seriously.

　　Inevitably some deals will not succeed. Generally the longer the negotiations go on, the better chance they have because

　　people do not want to think their investment and energies have gone to waste. However , joint venture can mean joint risk and

　　sometimes , if this becomes too great , neither party may be prepared to see the deal through . More common is a corporate