Negotiations are most likely to reach agreements when both sides perceive their condition to be unacceptable, but neither can improve conditions unilaterally. When background conditions neither favor nor disfavor negotiation, tactics can make a significant impact. Good negotiating tactics can keep negotiations running smoothly and speedily, and so make the most of the sometimes brief windows of opportunity. A skillful negotiator will also be better able to suggest mutually beneficial proposals. However, tactics alone rarely determine the success of failure of negotiations.
Effective strategy can compensate for difficult background conditions.
When choosing parties, intermediaries can be very helpful in the early stages of de-escalation. Intermediaries are often able to point out the costs of continued conflict and emphasize the benefits of settlements. Excluding intransigent major parties can be helpful in getting negotiations going initially. However, such exclusion may undermine the ability to reach a fair, enduring settlement in the long run. Kriesberg also finds that adversaries are more likely to agree over isolated, peripheral issues in the earlier stages of de-escalation, and to move from those issues to more comprehensive negotiations at later stages.