Vocabulary

Word Part of speech

Meaning

Example Sentence

alternatives noun

other options

We can't offer you the raise you requested, but let's discuss some other alternatives.

amplify verb

expand; give more information

Could you amplify on your proposal please.

arbitration noun

conflict that is addressed by using a neutral third party

We're better to settle this between us, because a formal arbitration will cost both of us money.

bargain verb

try to change a person's mind by using various tactics

We bargained on the last issue for over an hour before we agreed to take a break.

bottom-line noun

the lowest one is willing to go

I'll accept a raise of one dollar per hour, but that's my bottom-line.

collective adj

together

This is a collective concern, and it isn't fair to discuss it without Marie present.

compensate verb

make up for a loss

If you are willing to work ten extra hours a week we will compensate you by paying you overtime.

comply verb

agree

I'd be willing to comply if you can offer me my own private office.

compromise verb

changing one's mind/terms slightly in order to find a resolution

We are willing to compromise on this issue because it means so much to you.

concession noun

a thing that is granted or accepted

I think we can offer all of these concessions, but not all at once.

conflict resolution noun

general term for negotiations

It is impossible to engage in conflict resolution when one of the parties refuses to listen.

confront verb

present an issue to someone directly

I confronted my boss about being undervalued, and we're going to talk about things on Monday.

consensus noun

agreement by all

It would be great if we could come to a consensus by 5:00 P.M.

cooperation noun

the working together

I have appreciated your cooperation throughout these negotiations.

counter proposal noun

the offer/request which is presented second in response to the first proposal

In their counter proposal they suggested that we keep their company name rather than creating a new one.

counterattack verb/noun

present other side of an issue

Before we could start our counterattack they suggested we sign a contract.

counterpart noun

person on the other side of the negotiations

I tried to close the discussions at noon, but my counterpart would not stop talking.

cordially verb/noun

politely

In the past I have had little respect for that client, but today she spoke cordially and listened to my point of view.

demands adv

needs/expectations that one side believes it deserves

They had some last minute demands that were entirely unrealistic.

deadlock noun

point where neither party will give in

When the discussions came to a deadlock we wrote up a letter of intent to continue the negotiations next week.

dispute noun

argument/conflict

I was hoping to avoid discussing last year's dispute, but Monica is still holding a grudge.

dominate verb

have the most control/stronger presence

Max has such a loud voice, he tends to dominate the conversations.

entitled adj

be deserving of

My contract says that I am entitled to full benefits after six months of employment.

flexible adj

open/willing to change

We have always been flexible in terms of your working hours.

haggling verb

arguing back and forth (often about prices)

We've been haggling over this issue for too long now.

hostility noun

long-term anger towards another

I want you to know that we don't have any hostility towards your company despite last year's mixup.

high-ball verb

make a request that is much higher than you expect to receive

I'm planning to high-ball my expectations when I open the discussion.

impulse noun

quick decision without thought or time

I acted on impulse when I signed that six-month contract.

indecisive adj

has difficulty choosing/making a decision

They were so indecisive we finally asked them to take a break and come back next week.

leverage noun

(bargaining power) something that gives one party a greater chance at succeeding over another

We have a little bit of leverage because we are the only stationary company in town.

log-rolling verb

trading one favour for another

After a bit of log-rolling we came to an agreement that pleased both of us.

low-ball verb

offer something much lower than you think the opponent will ask for

I was expecting my boss to low-ball in the initial offer, but he proposed a fair salary increase.

mislead verb

convince by altering or not telling the whole truth about something

They misled us into thinking that everything could be resolved today.

mutual adj

agreed by both or all

The decision to call off the merger was mutual.

objective noun

goal for the outcome

My prime objective is to have my family members added to my benefits plan.

point of view noun

person's ideas/ thoughts

From my point of view it makes more sense to wait another six months.

pressure verb

work hard to convince another of an idea

He pressured me to accept the terms by using intimidation tactics.

proposal noun

argument to present

While I listened to their proposal I noted each of their objectives.

receptive adj

open to/interested in an idea

His positive body language demonstrated that he was receptive to our suggestions.

resentment noun

anger held onto from a previous conflict

Mary's resentment stems from our not choosing her to head the project.

resistance noun

a display of opposition

We didn't expect so much resistance on the final issue.

resolve verb

end conflict, come to an agreement

Before you can resolve your differences you'll both need to calm down.

tactics noun

strategies used to get one's goals met

There are certain tactics that all skillful negotiators employ.

tension noun

feeling of stress/anxiety caused by heavy conflict

There was a lot of tension in the room when George threatened to quit.

trade-off noun

terms that are offered in return for something else

Lower payments over a longer period of time sounded like a fair trade-off until we asked about interest charges.

ultimatum noun

a final term that has serious consequences if not met

His ultimatum was that if I didn't agree to give him the raise he asked for, he'd quit today without two week's notice.

unrealistic adj

very unlikely to happen

It's unrealistic to think that we will have all of our demands met.

victory noun

a win

We considered it a victory because they agreed to four of our five terms.

yield verb

to give in to another's requests

The client will only yield to our conditions, if we agree to work over the holiday weekend.