International Buying and Selling Negotiations David Keach posted Jun 19, 2018 1:15 PM The international world of buying and selling is one of ever changing methods and technologies. In this day and age with automated information systems allowing companies to negotiate online and eliminate the traveling aspect, both money and time can be saved. But, with automated technologies it is hard to show emotion or send and receive non-verbal messages making it as much of a hinderance as it is a benefit in some cases. This makes the human aspect, in my opinion, almost irreplaceable. But, when it comes to meeting the buyers, is it more advantageous to negotiate solely or is it a hinderance? According to Maude, “A sole international sales negotiator is at a considerable disadvantage when bargaining against a team of foreign buyers due to the inherent imbalance of bargaining power and resources.” While I understand this, I don’t necessarily agree that this is a huge disadvantage for the sole negotiator. Of course, when you have a team you can dole out the responsibilities, organizing the negotiations without having to pick and choose on what your primary focus should be. But, negotiating as a sole negotiator also has some advantages that you can’t replicate with a multi-member team. The case study: “Sole Negotiators” from page 218 in the text gives us a prime example of the benefits of negotiating with only one sales representative. The second negotiator in the situation, with the freedom of negotiating alone, makes a great effort to learn about the culture of the organization while not being held back by the possibilities of a multi-member buying team. When you have a team, all team members must be on the same page, they must communicate and if everything is not planned out in accordance, the deal could fall apart. As a lone negotiator, you have the advantage of relying on yourself to seal the deal. If you study the culture and understand the nuances, this prepares you for dealing with multi-member teams of buyers. Lone negotiators also have the freedom of appealing to the organizations needs without further approval by other members. And, as teams need to have members with different skill sets to really be effective, a sole negotiator with many skills can be flexible and adjust to many in-negotiation situations. Now in conclusion, I think that the advantage goes both ways when you have a sole negotiator working with a team of buyers. If the sole negotiator is skilled and prepared for not only the organization but the for culture as well, then they have the advantage. Especially if they meet with all buying members sequentially, this takes away the teams simultaneous bargaining advantage and leads to more tradeoffs. But, if the team is multi-skilled and they work well together, playing off of each other, then the team holds the advantage. References: Anonymous. (2010). What are the advantages and disadvantages of team negotiation? Retrieved June 19, 2018, from http://www.negotiationskills.com/qaprocess43.php Maude, B. (2014). International Buying/Selling Negotiations. In International Business Negotiation: Principles & Practice (pp. 206-230). London: Palgrave Macmillan. International Buying and Selling Negotiations Michael Morales posted Jun 19, 2018 3:41 PM Being a sole sales negotiator or apart of a team has its advantages and disadvantages. In this case, I think a sole sales negotiator is at a disadvantage when faced with a small team of buyers. Maude points out that there is an inherent imbalance of bargaining power and resources when negotiating as a sole sales negotiator. (Maude, 2014) Sole negotiators have more on their plate than those working on a team. Greater preparation needs including cultural research, technical knowledge, and being able to answer questions without hesitation. Some advantages of team negotiations include better coordination, more experts, moral support, better listening ability, and better plans. (Anderson, 2008) Tasks can be distributed throughout a team to ensure all aspects are covered thoroughly. It will also reduce confusion as each member has their own task. A team can provide a much broader collection of experts and this should help the discussions move much faster. (Anderson, 2015) A sole negotiator is limited to his/her own knowledge and experience. I can equate this to having SMEs on a team. What one person may not have experience in, another my be an expert. If negotiations aren't going as planned, members can rely on each other for motivation and keep the negotiation process going. Having multiple sets of ears can enhance the negotiation process. If one member misses something, another will be there to pick up the slack. A plan from a sole negotiator is only as good as the negotiator them self. Having team input enhances the plan to creates a better solution. I'm leaning towards team negotiations, however, team negotiations are not useful in every negotiation. Sole negotiators take on more of the process than would a team. According to Maude, decisions taken on by a sole negotiator affect both the process and the outcomes of an international buying/ selling negotiation. (Maude, 2014) (S)He is required to make decisions based on their own experiences and knowledge. Their skill set needs to be boosted as they may be required to answer questions regarding entities they have minimal knowledge in. All in all, I don't think there is a correct answer the above posed question. I think it's dependent on the topic of negotiation and the ability of the negotiator(s) to provide a positive outcome. Anderson, J. (2008, December 11). Single vs Team Negotiation: Which Is Better? Retrieved June 19, 2018, from http://theaccidentalnegotiator.com/preparation/single-vs-teamnegotiation-which-is-better Maude, B. (2014). International business negotiation: Principles and practice. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 
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