Silence to them is an opportunity to think. They’re not
mad at you and they’re not trying to give you a chance to
talk more. If you feel they don’t see things the way you do,
give them a chance to think first.
Apologies have little value to them since they see the
negotiation and their relationship with you as a person
largely as separate things. They respond fairly well in the
moment to labels. They are not quick to answer calibrated
questions, or closed-ended questions when the answer is
“Yes.” They may need a few days to respond.
If you’re an analyst you should be worried about cutting
yourself off from an essential source of data, your
counterpart. The single biggest thing you can do is to smile
when you speak. People will be more forthcoming with
information to you as a result. Smiling can also become a
habit that makes it easy for you to mask any moments
you’ve been caught off guard.
ACCOMMODATOR
The most important thing to this type of negotiator is the
time spent building the relationship. Accommodators think
as long as there is a free-flowing continuous exchange of
information time is being well spent. As long as they’re
communicating, they’re happy. Their goal is to be on great
terms with their counterpart. They love the win-win.
Of the three types, they are most likely to build great
rapport without actually accomplishing anything.
Accommodators want to remain friends with their
counterpart even if they can’t reach an agreement. They are