Negotiation
Listen to Course
0:00
0:00
EN: The phrasal verb 'squeeze in' implies fitting an activity into a very tight or busy schedule, often suggesting that the person being addressed is doing a favor by making time.
I managed to squeeze in a quick workout before the meeting.
EN: The idiom 'pick someone's brain' is a professional yet informal way to ask for someone's expert advice or information on a specific topic.
Can I pick your brain about the new marketing strategy?
EN: In Western business culture, 'picking someone's brain' is a common way to acknowledge the other person's expertise. It frames the request as a compliment to their intelligence rather than just a demand for their time.
EN: The verb 'sound' is a linking verb (copula) used to describe the speaker's perception of a state. It is followed by an adjective ('tense') rather than an adverb, as it describes the subject 'You' rather than the action of sounding.
He sounded quite discouraged after the meeting.
EN: The phrase 'What's going on?' is a versatile idiomatic expression used to ask about current events, problems, or general updates. In this context, it functions as an empathetic inquiry into someone's emotional state or situation.
I see everyone is gathered in the hallway; what's going on?
EN: In professional yet friendly Western contexts, noticing and commenting on someone's emotional state (like being 'tense') is a sign of high emotional intelligence (EQ) and active listening. It shows that you are paying attention to non-verbal cues even over the phone.
EN: The Present Perfect Continuous tense ('have been in talks') is used here to emphasize the ongoing nature and duration of an action that started in the past and continues to the present moment, often implying a sense of persistence or fatigue.
They have been negotiating the merger for months without reaching a consensus.
EN: The phrasal verb 'come in' is used in a business context to describe how a formal offer, bid, or report is received or submitted, often followed by a description of its value or quality.
The final estimates came in much lower than we initially anticipated.
EN: The word 'way' acts as an intensifying adverb before prepositions or adjectives (e.g., 'way over', 'way too much'), used in professional but semi-formal registers to emphasize a significant degree of difference.
The project deadline is way past the original schedule.
EN: In Western business culture, 'being in talks' suggests a formal stage of negotiation where both parties are exploring possibilities but no contract is signed yet. Mentioning that an offer is 'way over budget' is a common starting point for the 'anchoring' and 'haggling' process described later in the dialogue.
EN: The use of 'talking' in the progressive aspect here functions as a phrasal construction 'be talking [amount]', which is used to inquire about specific quantities or scales in a conversational but professional context.
Are we talking hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs?
EN: The phrase 'How far over' uses 'far' as a degree adverb to modify the prepositional phrase 'over [budget]', creating a concise way to ask about the extent of a discrepancy.
I know the project is delayed, but how far over the deadline are we?
EN: The term 'ballpark figure' originates from American baseball, referring to a price or amount that is within the 'ballpark' (the stadium), meaning it is close enough to be discussed even if not exact. In business, it signals a desire for a quick estimate without the pressure of formal commitment.
EN: The use of 'which' as a sentential relative pronoun. In this structure, 'which' refers back to the entire preceding clause ('They quoted nearly double what we'd allocated') rather than just the noun immediately before it.
He arrived an hour late, which made the meeting run over schedule.
EN: The past perfect tense ('had allocated') is used to indicate an action that was completed before another point in the past (the quoting). It establishes a clear chronological sequence in a professional context.
By the time the project started, we had already allocated the necessary funds.
EN: The phrasal verb 'take someone aback' is an idiomatic expression meaning to surprise or shock someone. It is often used in the passive voice or with an adverb like 'frankly' or 'completely' to emphasize the reaction.
The sudden change in policy took the employees aback.
EN: In Western business culture, expressing surprise at a high quote using 'frankly' is a common way to signal that the price is outside the expected range without being aggressive. It opens the door for negotiation by being honest about the budget constraints.
EN: The use of 'justify' in business contexts often involves providing evidence or logical reasoning to support a specific cost or action, frequently paired with the preposition 'with'.
The consultant justified the high fee with a comprehensive market analysis.
EN: Compound nouns like 'scope of work' function as a single conceptual unit in professional English, defining the specific tasks and deliverables of a project.
Any changes to the scope of work must be approved by the project manager.
EN: The term 'gambit' originates from chess, referring to an opening move where a player risks a minor piece to gain a later advantage. In business, it describes a calculated risk or a strategic opening move in negotiations.
EN: The use of 'They did' is an emphatic auxiliary. In response to a 'Did they...?' question, repeating the auxiliary verb 'do/did' without the main verb serves to strongly confirm the previous statement's premise.
He said he would finish the report, and he did.
EN: The phrase 'or so they claimed' uses 'or so' to express skepticism or to distance the speaker from the truth of the statement. It implies that while the information was stated by others, the speaker does not necessarily vouch for its accuracy.
The product is unbreakable, or so the advertisement claims.
EN: In Western business negotiations, the term 'non-negotiable' is often used as a high-pressure tactic. Experienced negotiators, like Nina in the context, recognize this as a 'gambit' or a starting position rather than an absolute fact. The phrase 'or so they claimed' reflects a sophisticated level of professional skepticism common in high-level deal-making.
EN: The use of 'itself' as an intensive pronoun emphasizes that the subject ('non-negotiable') embodies the very essence of the predicate ('a negotiating tactic'), often used to reveal a hidden nature or irony.
The silence itself was a form of communication.
EN: The Present Perfect tense ('Have you drafted...') is used here to inquire about a completed action with current relevance, specifically within the context of an ongoing business process.
Have you finalized the contract yet?
EN: In Western business culture, 'non-negotiable' is often viewed as a high-pressure opening gambit rather than a final ultimatum. Nina's response reflects a sophisticated understanding of negotiation as a psychological game where language is used strategically.
EN: The verb 'second-guess' is used here as a present continuous participle to describe a state of self-doubt or re-evaluating a decision after it has been made. It implies a lack of confidence in one's initial judgment.
Stop second-guessing your intuition; you made the right call.
EN: The phrasal verb 'strip out' means to remove something from a larger whole, often to simplify a process or reduce costs. It is more forceful than 'remove' and common in business contexts.
We need to strip out all unnecessary expenses from the budget.
EN: The structure 'instead of' is a compound preposition used to indicate a substitution. In this context, it contrasts 'staggered payments' (incremental) with 'lump sum' (all at once).
They chose to invest in R&D instead of marketing this quarter.
EN: In Western business negotiations, 'second-guessing' is a common internal process, but openly admitting it to a trusted colleague (like Nina) shows a high level of professional intimacy. The terms 'staggered payments' and 'lump sum' are standard financial jargon used to discuss cash flow management.
EN: The use of the present continuous tense ('You're reframing') here functions as a performative or evaluative observation, describing the speaker's current strategy or approach in a dynamic way rather than just stating a static fact.
You're playing a dangerous game by withholding that information.
EN: The structure 'rather than' is used to contrast two actions, where the second action (haggling) is presented as a less desirable or more simplistic alternative to the first (reframing). It is often followed by a gerund (-ing) when the preceding verb is also in a continuous form.
We should focus on building relationships rather than just hitting targets.
EN: In high-level Western business negotiations, 'haggling' is often viewed as a low-level, transactional activity associated with street markets. 'Reframing' is considered a sophisticated cognitive and strategic skill. Using the word 'shrewd' is a high compliment, acknowledging someone's sharp judgment and practical intelligence.
EN: The use of 'One thing I'd suggest is...' serves as a focusing structure (pseudo-cleft sentence). It highlights the specific advice being given, making the statement more authoritative yet diplomatically phrased.
One thing we must consider is the long-term impact on brand reputation.
EN: The gerund 'anchoring' functions as a subject complement following the copula 'is'. In business negotiation, 'anchoring' is a technical term referring to the practice of establishing a reference point for the discussion.
By anchoring the price early, they controlled the entire negotiation.
EN: The use of 'not' to contrast two noun phrases ('shared interests' vs 'opposing positions') is a sophisticated way to clarify intent by negation, often used in C2-level rhetoric to define a concept by what it is not.
We seek a partnership based on growth, not mere survival.
EN: In Western business culture, especially in high-level negotiations, there is a shift from 'distributive bargaining' (win-lose) to 'integrative negotiation' (win-win). The phrase 'anchoring in shared interests' reflects the Harvard Negotiation Project's principle of 'principled negotiation,' which emphasizes looking for mutual gains.
EN: The use of 'finding' here is a gerund acting as the direct object of the verb 'mean'. In this context, 'You mean...' is an elliptical question form (short for 'Do you mean...') used to verify understanding by rephrasing the interlocutor's previous statement.
You mean postponing the launch until next quarter?
EN: The word 'where' introduces a nominal relative clause (also known as a free relative clause). It functions as the object of the gerund 'finding', representing the specific conceptual area or point of intersection between two sets of goals.
We need to identify where our interests align.
EN: The possessive pronoun 'theirs' is used to avoid repetition of the noun phrase 'their goals'. In professional negotiation contexts, using possessive pronouns maintains conciseness while clearly contrasting two parties.
Our strategy is aggressive, while theirs is more conservative.
EN: In Western business negotiation, 'active listening' is a critical skill. Rephrasing the other person's point as a question (as Emma does here) demonstrates that you are engaged and helps prevent costly misunderstandings before moving to the next stage of the deal.
EN: The use of 'fertile ground' is a metaphorical extension of agricultural terminology used to describe a situation or environment that is highly conducive to a particular outcome or development.
The current economic climate provides fertile ground for tech startups to flourish.
EN: The zero conditional structure (If + present simple, present simple) is used here to express a logical consequence or a general truth within the context of negotiation logic.
If both parties agree on the core values, the contract becomes a formality.
EN: In Western business culture, negotiation is often viewed as a collaborative problem-solving process rather than a zero-sum game. The phrase 'fertile ground for compromise' reflects this mindset, emphasizing the search for 'win-win' scenarios where both parties' interests overlap.
EN: The modal verb 'could' is used here to express a tentative suggestion or a possibility in a negotiation context, making the proposal sound more professional and less aggressive than 'will' or 'can'.
We could explore a partnership if the initial results are promising.
EN: The use of 'at a [adjective] rate' is a standard business collocation to describe pricing structures. 'Per project' acts as a distributive prepositional phrase indicating the unit of cost.
The consultant charges at a flat rate per hour.
EN: In Western business culture, a 'retainer' is a common way to secure long-term services. Offering 'volume' (more work) in exchange for 'flexibility' (lower rates) is a classic win-win negotiation tactic known as 'expanding the pie'.
EN: The use of the imperative mood followed by a semicolon and a parallel clause functions as a conditional structure (If you do X, then Y). It is a concise, rhetorical way to express a logical consequence in professional or persuasive contexts.
Show them the data; they will grant the extension.
EN: The preposition 'on' is used here to specify the domain or scope of the noun 'flexibility'. In business English, 'flexibility on [topic]' indicates a willingness to compromise or adjust specific aspects of a deal.
We need more flexibility on the delivery dates.
EN: In high-level business negotiations, 'volume' refers to the quantity of business or the size of a contract. Offering volume in exchange for better terms is a classic 'win-win' strategy where the service provider gets guaranteed work and the client gets a lower unit price or more favorable conditions.
EN: The use of the comparative adjective 'clearer' as a subject complement after the linking verb 'feel' indicates a change in mental state or clarity resulting from the preceding discussion.
After reviewing the data, the solution became much clearer to the team.
EN: The future tense 'I'll' (I will) is used here to express a firm decision or commitment made at the moment of speaking, common in professional negotiations.
I'll finalize the contract details and send them over by EOD.
EN: In Western business culture, meeting a 'deadline' is crucial for maintaining professional credibility. Mentioning a specific timeline (tonight, before their deadline) demonstrates reliability and a proactive attitude in a high-stakes negotiation.
EN: The use of a gerund phrase ('walking away') as a subject followed by the copula 'is' creates a definitive, axiomatic statement. This structure is often used in professional contexts to state fundamental principles or non-negotiable truths.
Maintaining transparency is essential for long-term partnerships.
EN: The word 'alone' functions as an adverbial intensifier following a noun phrase ('That leverage'). It emphasizes that the mere existence of the subject is sufficient to cause the effect, without needing any additional factors.
The brand name alone justifies the premium price tag.
EN: In Western business negotiation culture, the 'Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement' (BATNA) is a crucial concept. Nina is reminding Emma that having a strong BATNA (the ability to walk away) provides psychological and tactical power, even if it is never used.
EN: The phrase 'keep someone posted' is an idiomatic expression meaning to keep someone informed of the latest developments. It is often followed by 'on' + noun phrase or 'about' + noun phrase.
Please keep me posted on any changes to the itinerary.
EN: The noun clause 'how the deal unfolds' acts as the object of the preposition 'on'. In this context, 'unfold' is an intransitive verb used metaphorically to describe how a situation develops over time.
We are waiting to see how the election results unfold.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'on me' is a common informal way to indicate who is paying for a meal or drink. It functions as a subject complement in this structure.
Don't worry about the bill; drinks are on the house tonight.
EN: In Western business culture, 'Lunch is on me' is a common way to show appreciation after receiving advice or a favor. It signals a reciprocal relationship rather than just a financial transaction. Also, 'Noted' is a very efficient, professional way to acknowledge information without being overly wordy.
EN: The idiom 'hold someone to something' means to demand that someone fulfill a promise or act according to what they have said. It implies accountability and is often used in semi-formal or casual negotiations.
You promised to help me move this weekend, and I'm going to hold you to that.
EN: The use of 'Go' followed by another base verb (bare infinitive) is a common colloquial imperative structure used to encourage or command immediate action. In formal grammar, it would be 'Go and close'.
Go tell him the news before he leaves.
EN: In Western business culture, 'I'll hold you to that' is a common way to playfully accept an offer (like a free lunch) while signaling that the agreement is now firm. 'Close the deal' is a standard idiom in sales and high-level negotiations, emphasizing the finalization of an agreement.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
To ask someone's advice or opinion about something they know a lot about.
To manage to find time for someone or something despite being very busy.
To surprise or shock someone so much that they do not know what to say or do.
An approximate number or estimate.
To expect someone to do what they have promised or said they will do.
A calculated move or remark at the beginning of a negotiation intended to gain an advantage.
A detailed document that outlines the specific tasks, deliverables, and boundaries of a project.
The tangible or intangible products or results that must be provided to a client upon completion of a project.
A payment schedule where the total amount is paid in smaller portions over a period of time.
A single payment made at one time of a large amount, as opposed to a series of smaller payments.
A cognitive bias where an individual relies too heavily on an initial piece of information (the 'anchor') when making decisions.
A fee paid in advance to a professional (like a lawyer or agency) to secure their services whenever needed.
The quantity or amount of business, production, or sales.