Years ago, a well-known research study by Jean Piaget observed young boys and
girls at play. The study concluded that the boys were more concerned about the
rules of the game than the girls were. The boys seemed quite adept at
negotiating the rules before the game started; the girls were more concerned
about relationships, making sure everyone was included.
Is it possible that this early childhood behavior continues into adulthood,
where so many women in the marketplace are negotiating major contracts? Do women
lack some inherent negotiating trait, or is it a simple a lack of experience
that causes some to reduce their prices before doing even a few rounds of
negotiations? These questions, as well as knowing when and how to start the
negotiation, plague many entrepreneurs.
Deanna Brown, counsel to Hallstrom, Klein & Ward LLP and senior corporate
counsel for Skyworks Solutions, has negotiated major contracts both for and
against Fortune 500 companies in the U.S., Europe and Asia. She shared her
insights on the skill and pitfalls of negotiations, as well as the unique issues
women deal with during the negotiating process.
WomenEntrepreneur.com: What are the main differences
between men and women's negotiating styles? Also, is it different when women are
negotiating with other women or with men?
Deanna Brown: I've negotiated both with and against women and men
who've adopted a variety of negotiation styles, so I don't feel there's a hard
and fast rule about how either gender negotiates. However, some studies have
indicated the following:
1. Women are often more attentive to the overall relationship of the
parties than the issues being negotiated. Studies show that women tend to
focus more on the relationship of the parties involved in a negotiation, while
men may focus only on the resolution of a particular set of issues. The
relationship of the parties is often just as important--if not more
important--than finalizing the deal, especially if the parties will be working
together on a project after the contract or deal is finalized.
In some cases, however, a woman with this focus may need to adjust her
negotiation style if the outcome of the negotiation is more important than the
parties' relationship.
2. Women are often more attentive to nonverbal communication signals.
Women typically have stronger people-reading skills than their male
counterparts. Attention to body language and other nonverbal cues can be key in
negotiations, especially when determining the other party's key concerns.
3. Women are perceived negatively if they adopt the aggressive tactics
employed by some male negotiators. Men may expect women to be "ladylike" in
negotiations and avoid aggressive behavior, such as speaking in a loud voice or
using foul language.
What's the No. 1 curveball you've seen when
negotiating large contracts that women need to be made aware of?
Brown: Some large contracts can take many months to negotiate, so
it's likely that some of the players will change during the course of the
negotiation. Very often, the new attorney, sales representative or business
consultant will want to revisit issues that previously had been resolved. I try
to address this issue by thoroughly documenting my discussions with the other
party.
For example, if the parties reach agreement on the limitation of liability
for the contract, I send a follow up e-mail message to both parties that
documents the agreement reached. If the issue arises again, I then have a record
I can share with both parties that describes the prior agreement. Sometimes all
it takes is making the new team member aware of the history of the negotiations
and prior agreements to avoid having to start from scratch.
Look for a continuation of this topic next month, as Deanna Brown
continues her exploration of women and negotiations.