Virtual negotiation comes with its limitations that may be unwelcome to the growth of your business if not well managed. These limitations are common, however, they are also very easily overlooked and not addressed with high urgency.
Virtual negotiation challenges
- Limitations with seeing a negotiator’s emotions: the major setback facing many businesses using virtual negotiation in this generation is the limitation to read client’s or other member’s emotions. There are non-verbal clues that come along with the physical mode of negotiation, such as facial gestures, hand movement, sitting positions, among many others. Virtual communication hardly gives access to all those features.
- Technical challenges: there could still be technical challenges such as poor audio recording or limited bandwidth.
- Misinterpretation of text: the other person at the end of the negotiation table might easily read another meaning.
- Security challenges: this is another major eyesore associated with virtual negotiation. This has to be dealt with some carefulness, especially when discussing sensitive issues. There could be an unauthorized recording.
Solution tips for virtual negotiation challenges
Virtual negotiation challenges need to be dealt with, not avoided. Sometimes you won’t have a choice than to bring your team together and hold a meeting. Ahead such difficult times like in this pandemic, it will be of advantage to have started with a virtual negotiation system and prepare for any challenges resulting. Besides, virtual negotiation has many benefits that make it preferable to physical negotiation. However, we have some tips that will help you have a smooth virtual negotiation session:
- Clarify process and expectations: we know that it is important to align on the process in each negotiation. Even more important to do when we are negotiating remotely. Clarify topics such as: by when do we want to be finished? Who has to approve this deal? When will you respond? How many calls should we schedule?
- Take more notes: as there is a loss of information in virtual communication, it is important to take more notes. In addition, this will also reduce the risk of distractions.
- Proper camera positioning: instead of bringing the camera so close to your head, you can adequately leave some space to show your hand movement and gestures while making video call.
- Maintaining an appropriate video or audio background: definitely, you won’t want to hold a virtual negotiation in a noisy or busy environment so as not to distract another negotiator. As well, it is crucial to keep a formal background whenever dealing with a situation as such.