1. Supplementary Material
Culture and Negotiation
Negotiating is an important part of business, whether it’s selling snowballs to Eskimos or cat food to a dog
kennel. Whatever it is, it is important to negotiate well.
Here are some helpful tips for successful negotiations
1. Always try to negotiate for at least 15 minutes.
2. Always offer to let the other party speak first.
3. Always respect and listen to what your opponent has to say.
4. Acknowledge what the other party says.
5. Pay attention to your own and the other person’s body language.
Any less than that and it is unlikely that either party will have had enough time to give real consideration to
the other side’s point of view. Generally, the size or seriousness of the negotiation determines the amount
of time needed to negotiate it. However, setting a time limit is a good idea, as it encourages people to stick
to the point, and remember that approximately 90% of negotiations get settled in the last 10% of the
discussion.
This is especially important if you are the one making a request. If you are looking for a raise, for example,
you don’t want to play your hand too early, as it puts the person on the other side in a commanding
position. It’s possible that the other party may have overestimated what you are going to ask for and could
actually offer more than what you were going to request, so don’t jump the gun.
This is important even if he or she does not extend the same courtesy to you. Do your best to remain calm
and pleasant even if the other party is displaying frustration or anger. Remember, strong-arm tactics are the
only tactics some people know, so don’t let yourself be intimidated. Stick to your guns and stay cool.
Everyone likes to know that what they say is important. A good technique to show that you are paying
attention is to repeat key words from what the other person has just said. This makes them feel that you are
listening and that they are interesting. Also, if the other party opens first, use it to your advantage, by
paraphrasing what you have heard, repeating their important ideas before you introduce your own stronger
ones.

2. It is a good idea to learn how to interpret non-verbal messages during a discussion - Is the other person
interested? Bored? Or even lying? Also, you should make sure that you aren't sending any negative
messages. (EnglishClub.com, 2010, parrs. 1-5)
Please read this on-line resource: http://www.how-to-negotiate.com/
It is important to know what to say and when to say it. It is equally as important to do the right thing.
Negotiating across cultures can be a tricky business indeed. It is your job as a negotiator to know the
customs and common practices of the people you will be dealing with. Here are some examples of culture
differences.
Germany
People from this country put truth and directness before diplomacy,
believing that the fact is the important issue and that personal
emotions should not deflect the truth from being spoken. This
directness can be interpreted by certain cultures (U.K, Japan,
Korea etc.) as rudeness. Also, it is often said that people from this
country lack a sense of humor. There is a time and a place for
humor and its place is not when you are doing business. It is also
important to remember that humor does not always translate. What
is funny in one culture can come across as nonsense in another. (CDA
media, 2012, parrs. 1 & 3).
The United States
Paradoxically, on first introductions, people from this country can
seem very friendly, polite and solicitous of your well being which
seems to contradict the behavior exhibited half an hour later in the
meeting. This friendliness (Have nice day!, Hi, how are you doing?
etc.) should be taken for what it is — part of the protocol of the
language and not as an attempt at establishing a life long
friendship. They are much more open in conversation about private
affairs than many cultures and because of this is that they will
often, quite naively, ask very personal questions at an early stage
in a relationship which may be perceived by some people as
intrusive. (CDA media, 2012, parrs. 3 & 5).

3. The United Kingdom
People from this country are almost Asian in their use of diplomatic
language. They strongly place diplomacy before directness in
communication, and they equate directness with open
confrontation so they avoid using language that they think will
offend the other party. This can often lead them to seem evasive in
meeting situations when they are really searching for a way of
saying something negative in a positive way. They use humor all
the time in business situations. In fact, the more tense and difficult
a situation is, the more likely they are to use. This does not mean
they are not taking the situation seriously - it is their way of keeping
situations calm, reserved and non-emotional. (CDA media, 2012, parrs. 1 &
3).
Japan
Of all the aspects of dealing with people from this country, the ones
which probably cause the biggest dilemmas concern
communication difficulties. Communications here are epitomized
by subtlety and nuance, where how one appears and what one
publicly states and what one really thinks are often poles apart,
and can often even be contradictory. In addition, body language is
very minimal here, making it difficult for the untrained observer to
read. These people seem to be very still in meetings, sitting in a
formal upright posture. It is rare for any reaction or emotion to be
visible. (CDA media, 2012, parrs. 1 & 3).
Brazil
Communication in this country tends to be predominantly oral
rather than written. The people here tend to put the spoken before
the written word. When sending something in a written format it is
usually a good idea to follow it up with a phone call or a visit. Body
language plays a significant role in normal communication. People
here are very tactile even with people of the opposite sex, and
work at very close proximity. They also exhibit strong levels of eye
contact when speaking to people. Be careful when using humour in
very serious situations as it can be viewed as lacking in gravitas.
However, in everyday situations it is important to be seen as good
company and entertaining. Life is to be lived and enjoyed. (CDA media,
2012, parrs. 2, 4 & 5).
Another important aspect of most businesses is the recruiting and
hiring process. Decisions in this regards are fundamental. You
want to portray your best image when recruiting and you want the
best person for the job.
Applying these decision making strategies will certainly help you
when it comes time to “make the right choice.”

4. Las referencias
English Club (2010). The negotiation Process. USA: English club.
Retrieved on January 9th of 2010 from http://www.englishclub.com/business-
english/negotiations-process.htm
CDA Media (2012). Wold Business Culture. Communication Styles. Retieved on May 22, 2012 from :
http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/
Brazilian Government. (2007). Flag of Brazil [digital illustration]. Obtained on October
14th from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Brazil.svg under public
domain license.
Mongenet, M. (2006). Uk flag 300 [digital illustration]. Obtained on October 14th from
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Uk_flag_300.png under GNU Free
documentation license.
Wikimedia Commons. (2007). Flag of Germany [digital illustration]. Obtained on
October 14th from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Germany.svg under
public domain license.
Wikimedia Commons. (2009). Flag of Japan [digital illustration]. Obtained on October
14th from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Japan.svg under public
domain license.
Wikimedia Commons. (2010). Flag of the United States[digital illustration]. Obtained on
October 14th from
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_the_United_States.svg under public
domain license.
Flickr (2010). Audiência na CDHU ‐ IMG_6680. Obtained on October 25th from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36304866@N03/4118106348/ under public
domain license.