Negotiate Online — 30 Tips to Close Better Deals via Email and Video

30 Tips on How to Negotiate Online

Online negotiation is now a standard part of modern business, combining traditional negotiation skills with digital tools such as video calls and email. While it offers flexibility, it also brings challenges such as fewer non-verbal cues and a greater risk of miscommunication.

Below, we present 30 negotiation tips in total, with 20 tips focused on negotiating effectively via video call and 10 tips focused on negotiating effectively through email. The goal is to help you improve clarity, confidence, and overall negotiation outcomes.

20 Tips on How To Negotiate Online In A Video Call

If you’re negotiating in a video call, you have to focus on many details:

1. Prepare a script and use it

A good online negotiation starts with the preparation of a script. Make sure you include the following tips:
Tip #1: Keep it quick & short. Account managers talk, procurement managers are the ones who ask the questions!
Tip #2: Start the script with your desired outcome, and write your text afterward!
Tip #3: Always start your sentence with important Information:  begin with the end in mind.
Tip #4: Be Conversational. Know Your Speaker.
Tip #5: Finish Strong.
Tip #6: Practice, Polish, and Perfect.

2. Set an agenda

Identify your meeting goals,  list the questions you want to address, identify the purpose of each subject, estimate the amount of time to spend on each topic, and make sure not to forget to end each meeting with a short recap!

3. Make sure you plan the right timing & duration of the session and use this to your advantage

Time is a valuable variable in every negotiation: try to determine if the person/company you are negotiating with is more or less eager for a deal than you. If more eager? Slow down your speed of response. If the other way around, the faster your speed of response is.

4. Prepare flinches and make sure you use them during the session(s)

The flinch is one of the oldest negotiation tactics, but still one of the least used. A flinch is a bit dramatic visible reaction during negotiations. The objective of a flinch is to make people feel uncomfortable about the offer they just presented. Here is an example of how it works. Examples are: “Is this really what you offer”? Please, act as surprised as possible. Feel uncomfortable with the concept of flinching? Try and find out the greatest possible results yourself!

5. If you have a second screen: have your Data-Driven negotiation information on there as backup during the session

This is one of the most obvious of our tips,  but make sure you have your Data-Driven procurement analyses & your prepared script visible on your second screen.

For those who need help to install the second screen on Windows:  Select Start > Settings > System > Display.

In the Multiple displays section, select extend from the list to determine how your desktop will display across your screens. Once you’ve selected what you see on your displays, select Keep changes.

6. Use silence – this has an even  bigger impact online 

Silence is a great tactic to diffuse the emotion and/or people with a temper.  Generally, people are uncomfortable with silence. People feel they have to fill it, and usually, what they fill it with weakens their position. Use this knowledge your advance in negotiations:  most people can’t stand silence and are the first to fill it, very often with a concession.  Silence also allows you to think, enables you to gain or regain position, and puts pressure on the other party.

7. Manage Your Emotions and Stay Calm

Negotiating online can be stressful, and emotions can easily influence your decisions. Stay aware of your emotional state throughout the call and practice techniques to remain calm, such as deep breathing or brief pauses. Demonstrating composure conveys confidence, maintains your credibility, and prevents you from making impulsive concessions. A calm demeanor also helps you read the other party more accurately and respond strategically.

8. Take notes during the session

It always helps to convert your notes into a to-do list. Writing notes helps you remember what you heard, taking notes helps you to concentrate and listen effectively, and selecting what to note down increases your understanding. Share your notes directly áfter the online session via e-mail. Actually, taking notes improves the quality of everything you do!

9. Make screenshots when slides are presented by the other party: these help your notes become visual

People tend to send slightly different slides after a session, driven by feedback that they received during presenting them. If you see something interesting while someone else is presenting, don’t hesitate, make a screenshot, and add this to your notes!

10. If you would like to record the session, always ask first!

Recording a Microsoft Teams meeting is possible and legal with the appropriate consent. So: ask first!  Businesses that use Microsoft Teams or other video programs should create a policy to assist their employees in making and using recordings in a way that does not harm professionals.

11. When negotiating together, make sure you have a contact line open: web, WhatsApp, or chat

Having a contact line open during the online negotiation helps you to achieve your goal more easily. Via WhatsApp or chat, you can easily discuss short topics, make in-negotiation decisions, and, for example, determine who plays bad and who plays good cop. 

12. In case of sharing your screen 1? Use the present mode to see your notes 

Using Presenter view is a great way to view your presentation with speaker notes on one computer (your laptop, for example), while only the slides themselves appear on the screen that your audience sees (like a larger screen you’re projecting to). Learn more about this here.

13. Pay extra attention when sharing screen 2

In case of sharing your screen 2, you must avoid uncomfortable situations: close your contact line and block incoming pop-ups!

14. Optimize Your Tech Setup Before the Call

Before joining an online negotiation, make sure your camera, microphone, and internet connection are working flawlessly. Testing your equipment in advance prevents interruptions that could weaken your position or credibility. A clean, reliable technical setup signals professionalism and helps you maintain control throughout the negotiation.

15. Control Your Visual Environment

Your background and lighting significantly influence how others perceive you during a video call. A clean, neutral, and distraction-free background creates a professional impression, while proper lighting ensures you appear confident and engaged. By managing your visual environment, you strengthen your presence and reinforce your authority in the negotiation.

16. Use Clear and Confident Body Language

Even in online settings, body language plays an important role in how your message is received. Maintaining eye contact by looking directly into the camera and using steady, calm movements makes you appear more confident and trustworthy. Consistent, clear non-verbal communication helps reinforce your negotiation position and improves the impact of your message.

17. Ask Targeted, High-Impact Questions

Effective negotiators use questions strategically to uncover hidden priorities, motivations, and limitations of the other party. By structuring your inquiry with an open question, followed by a deeper probe, and finishing with a confirmation, you guide the conversation with intention. These high-impact questions allow you to extract valuable information and strengthen your bargaining leverage.

18. Use Digital Tools to Strengthen Your Arguments

Online negotiations offer the advantage of instant access to visual and analytical tools. Sharing screens, displaying spreadsheets, or presenting graphs helps transform your argument from an opinion into evidence. By leveraging digital resources at the right moment, you support your claims with data and make your position more convincing.

19. Establish Clear Next Steps Before Ending the Call

Before closing the video call, take a moment to clearly outline the next steps, responsibilities, and deadlines for both sides. Repeating these action points out loud ensures that everyone leaves with the same expectations and understanding. This clarity minimizes the risk of misunderstandings and keeps the negotiation moving forward efficiently.

20. Follow Up Immediately With a Structured Summary

After the meeting, send a concise follow-up email summarizing the main points, agreed responsibilities, and next steps with defined timelines. A prompt, well-organized summary demonstrates professionalism and reinforces what was discussed and decided. This immediate follow-up solidifies the negotiation progress and maintains momentum for the next stage.

10 Tips on How To Negotiate Online Via Email

If you’re negotiating via email, you have to pay attention to the following:

21. E-mail is perfect for one-way communication

One-way communication flows from a sender to a receiver, but nothing comes directly back in return. Since COVID-19 influences negotiations around the globe, it has become common to share proposals via email to set up a video call to discuss afterward.

22. More time to choose words carefully is an advantage: this can make your proposal look stronger

The same applies to the preparation phase of negotiation, accounting for emailing: the more time you put into your proposal, the better. But be cautious: never lose yourself in persuading the other; keep it businesslike.

23. It is difficult to build a relationship via e-mail: words can easily be misinterpreted by the reader

Make sure you keep the climate positive when emailing back and forth. Of course, your message to achieve your (financial) goals should land, but try to keep a friendly tone in emails. Try to be as clear as possible from the start. And remember to use generally accepted best practices in email etiquette. Never forget the personal touch: share something personal. It’s easy to find common ground when everyone looks for it. Examples include references to the weather, sports, animals, children, and travel.

24. Mails can be easily ‘Forwarded’ or ‘Replied to All’ to the wrong person

Business professionals use e-mail to further the overall negotiating and decision-making process, but there’s no turning back! While most negotiators recognize that e-mail is less successful or more frustrating in certain situations, they use it all. Always think before you send the e-mail: Is this information sensitive if the receiver forwards it to other persons? If the answer is yes, don’t send it: call!

25. Attachments in the mail? Check Check Check!

We could not be clearer: always check all your attachments by re-opening them before sending them. Examples of sent emails containing sensitive information are endless.

26. Keep Your Emails Structured and Easy to Scan

Busy professionals often skim rather than read emails in detail, so structure matters. Use short paragraphs, clear headings, and bolded key points to highlight the essence of your message. A well-organized email ensures that your proposal is understood quickly and reduces the risk of misinterpretation.

27. Use Precision and Avoid Emotional Language

Email strips away tone, facial expressions, and context, making emotional phrasing risky. Stick to clear, neutral language and focus on facts, numbers, and desired outcomes. The more precise you are, the less room there is for confusion or negative assumptions.

28. Always Offer a Clear CTA (Call to Action)

Every negotiation email should end with a specific action you want the other side to take. This could be confirming a proposal, scheduling a call, or providing additional information. Clear CTAs move the negotiation forward and prevent long, unproductive email chains.

29. Use Email Threads Strategically

Keeping the conversation within the same thread helps maintain context and prevents losing track of details discussed earlier. However, when a new major topic or phase begins, start a fresh thread to avoid confusion and maintain a clean communication record. Good thread management improves clarity and strengthens your professionalism.

30. Keep Timing in Mind – Email Delays Can Influence the Negotiation

Email communication is asynchronous, which means delays in replies can affect momentum. Use response timing strategically: reply quickly when you want to accelerate progress, or wait longer when you need time or want to apply subtle pressure. Understanding the power of timing in email negotiations helps you maintain an advantage.

Conclusion

Use the tips in this article to your advantage and close better deals. Whereas many procurement managers think the best deals are made offline, this is definitely not true for everyone.

Do you want to be the best negotiator that you could become? Then you may check our Negotiation Course For Procurement professionals to close every deal, especially for 2026.

After you read this article, 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 made a video where I’ll explain how you can use this template.