Written by Marijn Overvest | Reviewed by Sjoerd Goedhart | Fact Checked by Ruud Emonds | Our editorial policy

4 Tips to Get Inside Your Negotiation Counterpart`s Mind

1. Use your Network

Conduct your own research on the other side’s company, its industry, and its competitors by reading trade journals and news articles. Visit their website and check for press releases and interviews, these can be great sources of information. You could also ask your marketing or intelligence department for any industry research, reports or competitive intelligence it has gathered. Talking to friends and relatives who work, or used to work, in your counterpart’s position or industry can be beneficial as well.

2. Pre-inform

Reach out to your colleagues who have negotiated or worked with your counterpart, your counterpart’s company, and their competitors and ask them what they learned during those past interactions.

Predecessors, negotiators, and other employees who have had previous dealings with them can provide more personal information on the company’s negotiating style and the approach taken by individual negotiators. Information from historical sessions may indicate where the other party’s position is firm and where they may be more flexible.

Historical or previous documentation, like proposals and contracts, for identical or similar suppliers and products, may give you an idea about how flexible they are during negotiations. Many companies expect to lose a certain percentage of the proposed price during negotiations.

To compensate, they may include “padding” in their proposals so that they can negotiate it away and still have an acceptable contract.

3. Practice & Learn From Colleagues

An effective way to strengthen your negotiation preparation is to learn from colleagues who have experience in similar roles. Reaching out to people within your organization who regularly interact with customers or suppliers can provide practical insights into how negotiations typically unfold, what arguments are commonly used, and which approaches tend to be most effective.

For example, if you are a procurement professional negotiating with a supplier’s account representative, it can be highly valuable to speak with account representatives within your own organization. They can share their experiences from the supplier’s perspective, including how they prepare for negotiations, what they expect from the other side, and which negotiation tactics they commonly use.

The amount of time and effort you invest in this preparation should depend on several factors, such as the expected complexity of the negotiation, how well you already understand the counterpart’s business and objectives, and how confident you are in your ability to explore their viewpoint during the negotiation itself. More complex or high-impact negotiations generally require deeper preparation and broader internal input.

At this stage, it is particularly useful to think through the arguments your supplier is likely to raise. Try to put yourself in the supplier’s position and consider their commercial goals, constraints, and negotiation strategy. By anticipating these arguments in advance and thinking through potential counterarguments, you will be better prepared to respond calmly and adapt quickly when those points arise during the negotiation process.

4.  Prepare

Conduct your own research on the other side’s company, and its industry, and competitors by reading trade journals and news articles, visiting its website (press releases and news interviews can be great sources of information on an organization’s interests), and talking to friends and relatives who work (or used to work) in your counterpart’s position or industry.

How much time you spend and to what lengths you go during preparation to understand the other side’s interests should depend upon considerations like how complex you think the negotiation will be, how comfortable you are with your own knowledge of them and their situation, and how confident you are in your ability to explore and understand their viewpoint during negotiating sessions.

Of course, there are limits to how much you can learn and how effectively you can assess your counterpart’s situation through thorough preparatory consultation and research. That’s why it becomes critical to prepare important questions and statements for the negotiating sessions and to role-play (with a colleague, your boss or a friend) parts of the sessions themselves.

While you cannot control everything that will happen in the negotiation, you can control portions of it – and there is no reason not to be well-prepared for those portions.

Finally, preparing in this manner takes time and effort, and getting in the other party’s shoes will be challenging the first few times you try it. However, in the experience of our team of Procurement Tactics, the benefits far outweigh the costs. The more rigorous you are in preparing a detailed, specific understanding of the other party and their perspective, the better your negotiated results are likely to be.

5. Ask Smart Questions & Listen Actively

Asking the right questions is one of the most powerful tools for understanding your negotiation counterpart’s mindset. Open-ended questions encourage the other party to explain their priorities, constraints, and decision-making logic, rather than simply defending a position. This helps shift the discussion from surface-level demands to the underlying interests that truly drive their behavior.

Equally important is active listening throughout the negotiation process. This involves focusing not only on the content of what is being said, but also on verbal cues such as tone, pace, and emphasis, as well as non-verbal signals like body language and facial expressions. These cues can reveal hesitation, confidence, pressure points, or areas of potential flexibility.

Finally, smart questioning and active listening should be used continuously, not just at the beginning of the negotiation. As new information emerges, follow-up questions can clarify assumptions and test the consistency of your counterpart’s position. By staying curious and attentive throughout the process, you are better equipped to adjust your approach in real time and guide the negotiation toward more informed, balanced, and sustainable agreements.

3 Real-Life Examples of How to Get Inside Your Negotiation Counterpart’s Mind

1. Iran Nuclear Deal (International Negotiations)

In the negotiations between Iran and six world powers (including the US and EU), understanding Iran’s interests was key to reaching a temporary agreement to limit its nuclear program. Instead of insisting on a full stop to uranium enrichment, negotiators agreed on a compromise where Iran retained limited enrichment in exchange for partial lifting of sanctions, allowing progress without Iran losing face domestically. By considering both political and security priorities, negotiators built trust and opened the path for a more comprehensive deal.

This example shows the importance of understanding what really matters to the other party (e.g., national pride and political goals), not just their formal demands. By recognizing Iran’s legitimate interests, negotiators identified the zone of possible agreement (ZOPA) acceptable to both sides. This approach makes it easier to find solutions that meet core needs rather than getting stuck in symbolic conflicts.

2. Disney–Pixar Partnership Negotiations

During negotiations between The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Animation Studios before their partnership and eventual acquisition, Disney had to deeply understand what Pixar truly valued, not just financial terms, but creative freedom and control over their films. Instead of imposing corporate dominance, Disney offered flexible terms that respected Pixar’s culture and creative process, which was key to Pixar accepting the deal. Understanding these deeper priorities helped Disney craft an offer that was financially, emotionally, and strategically attractive.

This case demonstrates that negotiators who consider the bigger picture, including relationships, reputation, and long-term goals, can succeed even when objectives seem conflicting. Focusing on shared interests like innovation, creativity, and brand strength enabled Disney and Pixar to form a multi-billion-dollar partnership and close business relationship.

3. Apple in China – Managing Consumer Relations

In China, Apple faced a public conflict over warranty issues. Rather than sticking to a standard Western approach and defending itself legally, Apple understood the cultural and emotional needs of the market and issued a public apology. This approach helped restore trust among consumers and local partners, showing respect for collectivist cultural values where a sincere apology and acknowledgment of issues hold more weight than formal defense.

This example illustrates a negotiation strategy that goes beyond technical issues by understanding the emotional and cultural priorities of the other party. By adapting its approach, Apple positioned itself as a partner that values reputation and relationships, facilitating compromise and long-term cooperation.

Conclusion

In the realm of negotiations, understanding the other party’s desires before shaping your strategy is the key to success. This article delves into the art of entering your negotiation counterpart’s mind, transforming you into a negotiation magician who navigates discussions with finesse.

By exploring various techniques, from leveraging your network and pre-informing to practicing and learning from colleagues, you’ll gain a strategic advantage. Remember, the time and effort invested in preparation are the building blocks of successful negotiations, allowing you to anticipate arguments, adapt swiftly, and ultimately achieve favorable outcomes.

With these insights, you’re poised to become a skilled negotiator, confidently reading minds like the pages of a book.

Once you’re finished reading this article, you’ll be like a negotiation magician, reading minds like you’re reading a book!

I have created a free-to-download, editable negotiation toolkit template. It’s a PowerPoint file that can help you create the best approach when negotiating with other parties. I even created a video that explains how you can use this template.