Observation Report The person observed for this report. She has been observed during two separate negotiations and this is a report on the observations made during them. This report will also provide interpretations on what has been observed. Observervation 1(Pub Brewery, Buyer) Body language Observee has her arms crossed and resting on the table. Her upper-body is leaning in slightly and she is making eye contact with the other party on a regular basis. She smiles on occasion and uses hand gestures whenever appropriate. She does not openly react surprised to unexpected information or demands from the other party.
However, she does not have her heels on the floor, instead her feet are resting on their toes. Observee makes a professional, calm and friendly impression based on her body language. Although her heels are not touching the floor, this is somewhat understandable as she isn’t very tall. This makes it difficult for her to reach the floor with her heels while remaining in a comfortable position. Oral Communication Observee does not speak as often as her partner, the time she speaks is significantly less. However, whenever she does speak, she addresses the other party in a friendly tone and with professional vocabulary.
She also concretely agrees to suggestions while in the middle game of the negotiation, instead of waiting for the end game to do this. Observee seems to not want to ‘waste’ time on superfluous conversation and instead says what she means clearly and concisely. This does not come across as unkind or emotionless, rather as direct. She also seems to be comfortable in letting her partner do the greater part of the negotiating and building on the points her partner makes. Questions The observee regularly asks questions. These questions are mostly closed questions.
Observee seems to use these questions as feedback whilst paraphrasing, to see if she correctly understood the other party. Observervation 2(Cuddles LTD, Seller) Body language Observee has her arms crossed and resting on the table. Her upper-body is leaning in slightly and she is making eye contact with the other party on a regular basis, this time she also spend a lot of time looking at her notebook. She also smiles frequently and uses hand gestures whenever appropriate. This time she has her heels on the floor, and is sitting on the edge of her seat.
She still does not openly react surprised to unexpected information or demands from the other party. Observee still makes a professional, and friendly impression. She also seems more at ease and calm than in the previous negotiations. The time she spends looking at her notebook is used to make calculations concerning the negotiation, it should therefore not be interpreted as rude or as a sign of a lack of interest. Oral Communication Observee speaks more frequently than during the previous observation, the amount of time she and her partner speak is roughly equal.
She addresses the other party in a friendly tone and with a professional and diverse vocabulary. She still concretely agrees to suggestions while in the middle game of the negotiation, instead of waiting for the end game. Observee seems to feel more comfortable taking the lead in the negotiation, she doesn’t dominate though. She leaves plenty of room for her partner and the other party to speak. She is pleasant to speak with and creates an atmosphere of harmony and trust. Questions As the observe speaks more frequently during this negotiation, there were more questions to be observed.
She still predominantly asks closed questions, but she asks significantly more open questions than during the previous observation. Observee still seems to use the closed questions as feedback, to see if she correctly understood what the other party said. She seems to use her open questions to gather more information during the opening game. Negotiation style Ms creates the impression that she has a negotiating style which is very inclined to compromise and is aimed towards making the other party feel comfortable during the negotiation.
This creates a pleasant environment in which to negotiate, it does however not necessarily yield the best deals. Tips for her to improve would be for her to be slightly less lenient whilst negotiating and spend more time exploring other possibilities and agreements. She seems eager to move from her original position and agree to terms set by the opposing party. It would benefit her, and her deal, if she spent the entire middle game exploring opportunities and saving agreements for the end game. Other than these points, Ms seems to be a good and professional negotiator.