From buying new equipment to countering your child’s request 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. Part 1, featured in the March 23 CropWatch, looked at two negotiator types: Analytical and Drivers. See more articles in this series.

While this series describes four types of negotiators, putting someone in a single category is not very efficient. Everyone shows traits of each category. The purpose of these articles 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 and adjust to reach a negotiated outcome. Let us look at the last two traits — Amiable and Expressive —in this two-part segment.

Amiable

"After we finalize the agreement, would you like to get a coffee?"

Welcome to those who ask questions and care about the emotional factors of a negotiation. These individuals despise conflict. The critical value here is the relationship. They tend to focus more on feeling than on facts. The start of nearly all negotiations will be of social content. When discussing terms of an agreement or talking about a product, they will tend to describe how it makes someone feel more than facts. For instance, an amiable person, when selling a new pickup, would probably reference the commanding feel you get from the driver's seat and the confidence you will have in towing, instead of stating a horsepower figure and towing capacity. If you are working with someone of this type, show respect and care. Stay positive in the negotiation process while looking for solutions. To those in this group, the negotiation is personal.

Expressive

"Let me share with you what a mom with two preschoolers said she likes about this car."

Emotions drive this socializer, and instances of impulse buys occur at times. Most decisions appear reactive, impulsive, and spontaneous. They will have a short attention span and are loved by most everyone. This person tends to be the life of the party. With a talkative demeanor, they display optimism and are willing to take risks to reach their goal. When negotiating, discuss both the people and the facts. Repeat yourself and summarize as you work out the agreement section by section. Short stories of successful experiences related to the focus of the negotiation can have positive effects. Bring forward the idea of future benefits and negotiations in addition to the current one.

Summary

None of the types discussed here or in Part I are better or worse than the other. The key is to understand the style of the person with whom you’re negotiating. Someone who is expressive may start to panic when there is silence, while someone who is analytical may pause because they need time to think and digest.

If you are amiable, understand that a driver does not intend to harm, but focuses on the business side while you wish to build a relationship. The key to all of this is understanding how your counterpart will behave and respond to a negotiation. Then, you will be better able to modify your approach and achieve to a better-negotiated outcome.