The Truth About Negotiating on the Phone

Leigh Thompson

Would You Rather Negotiate Face-to-Face or on the Phone?

The face-to-face proponents say that you get more information from several data feeds when you are face to face. These students like the fact that they have access to a person’s nonverbal as well as verbal behaviors.

Those who prefer the phone like the fact that they can use the phone as a buffer—to better compose their ideas and buy time.

Who is right? Actually, both are! If you are in a position of power, you are better off negotiating face to face because the other party is not able to counter-argue as effectively as you can. This can give you an edge when it comes to effective claiming. However, if you have less power relative ...