The personal needs of individual negotiators are harder to discern, but are critical to the success of the negotiation. Apparently tough opponents may be trying to impress others or they may have painted themselves into a corner with promises they feel they have to keep. On the other hand, they may just choose to cultivate a tough-guy image. Understanding personal needs and helping the other party to look good can help to cement a deal. The main difference between skilled negotiators and novices lies in the number of questions they ask.
Novices tend to make statements and are then surprised when the other party disagrees and argues.
Experienced negotiators ask many questions because they know that a question has more influencing power than a statement. You'll find intelligent questioning and active listening pay off. There is an art to good questioning. Properly done, it opens up communication and overcomes barriers. Closed-ended questions that call for yes or no answers have their uses, but they tend to be conversation stoppers.