More screen time and less face time equals more email negotiations. Use this one-hour webinar to help you achieve success with email negotiations.

1. Learn The Keys
To Effective
Email
Negotiation
© 2009 Dr. Julie Miller, Inc. & Jeanette Nyden, J.D. All Rights Reserved.

2. Today’s Speakers:
Dr. Julie Miller
• President, Business Writing That
Counts!
• Author, Business Writing That Counts!
• Keynote Speaker
• Business Writing Trainer, Coach,
Consultant
• Julie@drjuliemiller.com

3. Good Writing is Good Business

4. Good Writing is Good Negotiating

5. Today’s Speakers:
Jeanette Nyden, J.D.
• President, J. Nyden & Co, A
negotiation skills training company!
• Author, Negotiation Rules!
• Keynote Speaker
• Negotiation Trainer, Coach, and
Business Attorney
• JN@jnyden.com or 206­723­3472
• www.jnyden.com

6. Yes or No
1. Are you buying or selling
something on behalf of your
company?
2. Are you discussing the terms of
that sale/purchase
(deliverables, duration,
schedule)?
3. Are you trying to reach an
agreement with other
teams/departments within your
company?

7. You are Negotiating!
If you answered “yes”
to any one of these
questions you are
negotiating.

8. Excellence in Email Negotiation
Establish excellence in
email negotiation by
combining both good
writing techniques with
good negotiation
techniques

9. What is your intention when you
negotiate?

10. To negotiate
simply means that
you are having a
back and forth
conversation
aimed at reaching
an agreement.

11. More screen
time and less
face time =
more email
negotiations

12. No Deal!
A Harvard Negotiation Failure
research study Rate
noted that: 50%
– 19% of face­to­ 40%
face 30%
Face to
Face
– 50% of email
– 20% Email
10%
0%

13. Just Like Flipping a Coin!

14. Case Study: Trudy
• Trudy: Account
Manager for a small
software company
• Negotiating with John
and his company to
license a piece of
software her company
developed

15. Two Ways to Pay Trudy’s
Company
1. Base Royalty for the
privilege of re­selling the
software
AND
2. Price per license
installed in each
computer

16. Case Study: John
• John works for a very
large corporation as a
purchasing officer
• John’s company is
considering
purchasing a piece of
software from Trudy’s
company

17. From John to Trudy
Our company does not want to pay the Base Royalty you quoted in one
lump sum, so you will have to come up with some other alternative if you
really want our business.
Please let me know ASAP.
Thx,
J~

18. From John to Trudy
Wants to change
the terms Trudy
quoted him
Our company does not want to pay the Base Royalty you quoted in one
lump sum, so you will have to come up with some other alternative if you
really want our business.
Please let me know ASAP.
So Casual
Thx,
J~

19. Response from Trudy Back to John
Sorry, like I said on the phone we expect our
Base Royalty payment up front. Our company
cannot afford to spread the payments out.
That’s crazy.

20. Response from Trudy Back to John
Are you really What exactly did
sorry! It sounds she say on the
so sarcastic phone?
Sorry, like I said on the phone we expect our
Base Royalty payment up front. Our company
cannot afford to spread the payments out.
Referring
That’s crazy. to what
your
company
can’t afford
is a big No­
No

21. Trudy Needs to Win the Business

22. Trudy needs to learn how
to make a
winning counteroffer!
winning counteroffer!

23. Anticipate Tradeoffs

24. Tradeoff
• Tradeoff is something
of value that you give
in exchange for
exchange
something of value in
return.

25. First, Trudy asks herself . . .
What costs
us little but
gives them a
lot of value?

26. Trudy’s Dilemma
• John’s proposal to
extend the payments
costs a lot to her little
company.

27. Then, she asks herself . . .
What do we
want from them
that give us a lot
of value?

28. Trudy’s Solution
What if the customer
promises to buy a minimum
number of licenses from us?
Those payments would offset
breaking the Base Royalty
Fee into payments!

29. Make all counteroffers using
“if­then” language

30. A Winning Counteroffer
If your company could commit to
X number of licenses installed,
then we could bill the Base
Royalty Fee in 4 quarterly
payments. Is that something that
your company could agree to?

31. Good Writing is Good Negotiating

32. Reader­Focused Writing

33. vs. Writer-Focused

34. Writer­Focused Writing
Dear Valued Customer,
Your email has been received. Your request will be processed within two
business days during regular hours. If additional information is required, you will
be contacted with a second email.
If you have a technical concern, allow more processing time as a technical staff
member may need to resolve your problems.
If your request has been completed, you will receive no further communication.
Customer Service

35. Reader­Focused Writing
Dear Ms. Jones,
Thank you for requesting information about trimming trees near power lines. I have forwarded your
email to the appropriate technician who will contact you directly if he needs additional information to
address your concerns.
Please be aware that it may take longer than two business days before you hear from us. I apologize
for any inconvenience. Our technicians have been busy assessing the damage caused by recent
storms.
If you would like an update on your request, feel free to call 555­1111 Monday through Friday
between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Anyone in the department would be glad to assist you.
Thank you,
Bob Smith

36. Reader­Focused Activity
Task: Write to the following readers about issues
concerning a new billing software system you are
purchasing.
• CEO
• CFO
• IT Staff

37. Reader Questions
What does my reader need to know?
How will I tell my reader this information?
Details
Terminology/Vocabulary
Delivery vehicle: email

38. Reader Awareness
CEO: Company Overview
The prospective billing system will improve our productivity in
three ways. First, revenue reporting will become more
consistent. Second, the graph option provides quick views of
revenue indicators. The graphs will be used as part of the
monthly financial report packaging. Finally, fewer man­hours will
be required to complete reports. Because productivity will be
enhanced, management recommends reducing the work week
by four hours. If you have any questions about this software, I
can be reached at 206.555.4444.

39. Reader Awareness
CFO: Financial Impact
The purchase of a new billing system in the Accounts
Receivable Dept. will have the following two immediate
financial impacts. First, a six­hour employee time loss will
occur due to a system shut down for installation. Second, a
20 percent loss of business will occur during the system
activation because of the call center closure. These two
impacts, though not originally budgeted, may necessitate a
revised budget estimate.

40. Reader Awareness
IT: Staff Impact
We are close to finalizing the purchase of a piece of updated billing
software. The purchase will impact you in two ways. First, all of the
IT staff will be trained on how to use the new system and how to
troubleshoot problems. Second, you may experience up to six
hours of downtime during the installation. The Purchasing Dept. will
email you to inform you of the date of scheduled installation. HR will
email you to confirm the dates for staff training. If you have any
questions or concerns, please contact Joanne in Purchasing at
684­3333 or Lorraine in HR at 684­1235.

41. Staying reader focused
applies equally to negotiating
via email!

42. Remember the Reader
Whose Negotiating With You?
• Gatekeeper?
Each of these
• Decision Maker?
negotiators will have
• Information Gatherer? a different
• Company Owner? perspective.
perspective.
• Your Boss?

43. Your Purpose
Tip #1

44. Strong Topic Sentence
Tip #2

45. Lead with the Main Idea
The new billing system in the Accounts
Receivable Dept. will have the following
two immediate financial impacts.

46. Reader and Tone
Partners in
your message

47. Writer’s Tone
What’s yours?

48. Type of Writer’s Tone

49. What Impacts Tone?
Word Choice
• Personal pronouns (I, you)
• Names vs. titles
• Technical terms or abbreviations
• Active vs. passive verbs
Sentence Structure
• Length
• Variety
• Statement vs. question
• Formal vs. informal

50. Writer­Focused Writing
Dear Valued Customer,
Your email has been received. Your request will be processed within two
Tone
business days during regular hours. If additional information is required, you will
be contacted with a second email.
If you have a technical concern, allow more processing time as a technical staff
member may need to resolve your problems.
If your request has been completed, you will receive no further communication.
Customer Service

51. Writer­Focused Writing
Title
Dear Valued Customer,
Your email has been received. Your request will be processed within two
business days during regular hours. If additional information is required, you will
be contacted with a second email.
If you have a technical concern, allow more processing time as a technical staff
member may need to resolve your problems.
If your request has been completed, you will receive no further communication.
Customer Service

52. Writer­Focused Writing
Dear Valued Customer,
Your email has been received. Your request will be processed within two
business days during regular hours. If additional information is required, you will
be contacted with a second email.
If you have a technical concern, allow more processing time as a technical staff
member may need to resolve your problems.
If your request has been completed, you will receive no further communication.
Little
variety
Customer Service

53. Writer­Focused Writing
Dear Valued Customer,
Your email has been received. Your request will be processed within two
business days during regular hours. If additional information is required, you will
be contacted with a second email.
Passive
If you have a technical concern, allow more processing time as a technical staff
voice
member may need to resolve your problems.
If your request has been completed, you will receive no further communication.
Customer Service

54. Tone Before
Our company does not want to pay the Base
Royalty you quoted in one lump sum, so you
will have to come up with some other
alternative if you really want our business.
Please let me know ASAP.

55. Tone Adjustments
• Ask how message would be said
• Greet your reader
• Be polite
• Avoid flaming
• Write the way you speak

56. New and Improved Email to
Trudy
Trudy,
As we continue our evaluation of your proposal, I wanted to bring up one
important point for your consideration:
Due to annual budgetary constraints on the business unit, we’d appreciate if
you can have the payment terms of the Base Royalty amount spread across
18 months, in either semi­annual or quarterly intervals.
Please let me know your thoughts on the above. I hope to be able to close this
deal soon.
Thank you,
John

57. New and Improved Email to
Name only
Trudy
Greeting
Trudy,
As we continue our evaluation of your proposal, I wanted to bring up one
important point for your consideration:
Due to annual budgetary constraints on the business unit, we’d appreciate if
you can have the payment terms of the Base Royalty amount spread across
18 months, in either semi­annual or quarterly intervals.
Please let me know your thoughts on the above. I hope to be able to close this
deal soon.
Thank you,
John

58. New and Improved Email to
Trudy
Tone is more
formal and also
positive
Trudy,
As we continue our evaluation of your proposal, I wanted to bring up one
important point for your consideration:
Due to annual budgetary constraints on the business unit, we’d appreciate if
you can have the payment terms of the Base Royalty amount spread across
18 months, in either semi­annual or quarterly intervals.
Please let me know your thoughts on the above. I hope to be able to close this
deal soon.
Thank you,
John

59. New and Improved Email to
Trudy
Trudy, The structure presents
a very clear message
As we continue our evaluation of your proposal, I wanted to bring up one
to the reader
important point for your consideration:
Due to annual budgetary constraints on the business unit, we’d appreciate if
you can have the payment terms of the Base Royalty amount spread across
18 months, in either semi­annual or quarterly intervals.
Please let me know your thoughts on the above. I hope to be able to close this
deal soon.
Thank you,
John

60. New and Improved Email to
Trudy
Trudy,
As we continue our evaluation of your proposal, I wanted to bring up one
important point for your consideration:
Due to annual budgetary constraints on the business unit, we’d appreciate if
you can have the payment terms of the Base Royalty amount spread across
18 months, in either semi­annual or quarterly intervals.
Salutation
Please let me know your thoughts on the above. I hope to be able to close this
deal soon.
Thank you,
John

61. New and Improved Email to
Trudy
Explains where they
are in the process and
offers a
counterproposal to
Trudy’s proposal
Trudy,
As we continue our evaluation of your proposal, I wanted to bring up one
important point for your consideration:
Due to annual budgetary constraints on the business unit, we’d appreciate if
you can have the payment terms of the Base Royalty amount spread across
18 months, in either semi­annual or quarterly intervals.
Please let me know your thoughts on the above. I hope to be able to close this
deal soon.
Thank you,
John

62. New and Improved Email to
Trudy
Trudy, Using
As we continue our evaluation of your proposal, I wanted to bring up one
language to
important point for your consideration: indicate would
like to work this
Due to annual budgetary constraints on the business unit, we’d appreciate if
deal out.
you can have the payment terms of the Base Royalty amount spread across
18 months, in either semi­annual or quarterly intervals.
Please let me know your thoughts on the above. I hope to be able to close this
deal soon.
Thank you,
John

63. New and Improved Email to
John
More
formal
greeting
Hi John:
Thank you for bringing this item to my attention. We would also like to close the business model
discussion soon.
With regard to the Base Royalty being spread out over time, the Base Royalty is the starting point for
our entire pricing model. Since you are asking us to change the Base Royalty payment structure, we
are re­calculating the other pricing too.
If your company would commit to a minimum of X licenses at the base rate of $X per license, then we
could we offer your company 4 quarterly Base Royalty payments
Is this something that your company could agree to? I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Trudy.

64. New and Improved Email to
John
Tone suggests
that they want
to work with
John’s
Hi John: company.
Thank you for bringing this item to my attention. We would also like to close the business model
discussion soon.
With regard to the Base Royalty being spread out over time, the Base Royalty is the starting point for
our entire pricing model. Since you are asking us to change the Base Royalty payment structure, we
are re­calculating the other pricing too.
If your company would commit to a minimum of X licenses at the base rate of $X per license, then we
could we offer your company 4 quarterly Base Royalty payments
Is this something that your company could agree to? I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Trudy.

65. New and Improved Email to
John
Structure of
Hi John:
argument lays out
her reasoning for the
Thank you for bringing this item to my attention. We would also like to close the business model
discussion soon. counterproposal
With regard to the Base Royalty being spread out over time, the Base Royalty is the starting point for
our entire pricing model. Since you are asking us to change the Base Royalty payment structure, we
are re­calculating the other pricing too.
If your company would commit to a minimum of X licenses at the base rate of $X per license, then we
could we offer your company 4 quarterly Base Royalty payments
Is this something that your company could agree to? I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Trudy.

66. New and Improved Email to
John
Hi John:
Thank you for bringing this item to my attention. We would also like to close the business model
discussion soon.
With regard to the Base Royalty being spread out over time, the Base Royalty is the starting point for
our entire pricing model. Since you are asking us to change the Base Royalty payment structure, we
are re­calculating the other pricing too.
If your company would commit to a minimum of X licenses at the base rate of $X per license, then we
could we offer your company 4 quarterly Base Royalty payments
Name only is
conveys more
Is this something that your company could agree to? I look forward to hearing from you soon,
distant tone
Trudy.

67. New and Improved Email to
John
Sets out her
company’s reasoning
for it’s pricing model in
Hi John:
a non­confrontational
manner.
Thank you for bringing this item to my attention. We would also like to close the business model
discussion soon.
With regard to the Base Royalty being spread out over time, the Base Royalty is the starting point
for our entire pricing model. Since you are asking us to change the Base Royalty payment
structure, we are re­calculating the other pricing too.
If your company would commit to a minimum of X licenses at the base rate of $X per license, then we
could we offer your company 4 quarterly Base Royalty payments
Is this something that your company could agree to? I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Trudy.

68. New and Improved Email to
John
Hi John:
Thank you for bringing this item to my attention. We would also like to close the business model
discussion soon.
Uses if­then
With regard to the Base Royalty being spread out over time, the Base Royalty is the starting point for
language to invite a
our entire pricing model. Since you are asking us to change the Base Royalty payment structure, we
conversation
are re­calculating the other pricing too.
If your company would commit to a minimum of X licenses at the base rate of $X per license, then we
could we offer your company 4 quarterly Base Royalty payments
Is this something that your company could agree to? I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Trudy.

69. New and Improved Email to
John
Hi John:
Thank you for bringing this item to my attention. We would also like to close the business model
discussion soon.
Makes a tradeoff in
With regard to the Base Royalty being spread out over time, the Base Royalty is the starting point for
her counteroffer to
our entire pricing model. Since you are asking us to change the Base Royalty payment structure, we
are re­calculating the other pricing too. John
If your company would commit to a minimum of X licenses at the base rate of $X per license, then
We could we offer your company 4 quarterly Base Royalty payments.
Is this something that your company could agree to? I look forward to hearing from you soon,
Trudy.

70. Good Writing is Good Negotiating

71. Negotiation Resources
J. Nyden & Co., Inc.
Negotiation Negotiation Meeting
Skills Training Coaching Facilitation and
(team and one­ Mediation
on­one)
Negotiation E­learning and Negotiation
Skills webinars Rules!
Assessment
www.jnyden.com | jn@jnyden.com | 206­723­3472