This is the most difficult task. A negotiator should identify the topics of discussion as well as the sequence of discussions. Everyone has a preferred negotiation style . Each style can be either ideal or worthless , depending upon the style of the person on the other side of the table and the duration of the relationship. Hard, or aggressive, negotiators prefer to understate both their willingness to settle and their probable end point.
Hard negotiators approach the negotiation as a test of wills in a zero sum game.
Soft negotiators approach negotiation as a path to agreement.