The Politeness Principles in Business Negotiation

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Abstract

Business negotiation is the solution to reach an agreement or to solve the disagreement. It is also a process of exchanging， discussing and even arguing about the issue. Any party in the negotiation wants to cooperate with the other party to reach his purpose and try to win the most benefits as well. Therefore， it is necessary to adopt the appropriate language strategies. Among them， politeness strategies are most commonly used to contribute to a successful business negotiation. Politeness strategies can enhance the mutual trust and understanding among negotiators so as to increase the opportunities. This article attempts to highlight the politeness principles and analyze their application in business negotiation. The appropriate treatment to the threat of face in communication can retain both positive and negative aspects of the face， thus making the negotiation go on smoothly.

Key words： Politeness principle； Business negotiation； Etiquette； Body language

ZHANG Yuxian （2013）. The Politeness Principles in Business Negotiation. Cross-Cultural Communication， 9（4）， -0 . Available from： http///index.php/ccc/article/view/j.ccc.1923670020130904.2668

DOI： http：///10.3968/j.ccc.1923670020130904.2668.

INTRODUCTION

In business， it is mostly through negotiation that exporters and importers bridge the difference and reach a fair and mutually satisfactory deal. Business negotiation plays an essential role in business， for the buyers and the sellers need to communicate and negotiate before concluding a transaction. Business negotiation is a kind of economic activity through which the parties involved seek the greatest gains. For the economic interest， both parties in negotiations have to compete against each other， but simultaneously have to cooperate with each other. Therefore， in spite of competition， both parties endeavor to create and keep the cooperative relationship through certain strategies and tactics.

Language is a chief measure used in business negotiation. However， language is often taken for granted perhaps because it is used every day， and its powers left unexamined unless serious problems with its use arise. Negotiators may have their attention focused on the more material aspects of an issue they are discussing and neglect the fundamental role language is playing in the representation of the aspects. Yet if the language used is inadequate for its purposes or the representation is at fault， the whole interaction may falter or fail. Successful negotiators must not take language for granted in the difficult and complex world of human interaction.

Another influential theory concerning politeness is Leech’s Politeness Principles. Leech places PP as a member of a set of principles which he called Interpersonal Rhetoric. Other important principles within Interpersonal Rhetoric include the Co-operative Principle and the Irony Principle. These principles， together with other principles within Textual Rhetoric， socially constrain communicative behaviors in various ways， they do not provide the main motivation for talking， but serve as regulative factors to ensure that once conversation is under way， it will not follow a fruitless or disruptive path. Instead of basing his theory on the notion of face， Leech patterns on Grice’s CP and divides the PP into a number of maxims， i.e. Tact Maxim， Generosity Maxim， Approbation Maxim， Modesty Maxim， Agreement Maxim， and Sympathy Maxim.

Leech distinguishes self and other and the relationship of these two parties is the concern of politeness. To act on the maxims he has specified， the participants of conversation should minimize cost to other and maximize benefits to other （or maximize cost to self and minimize benefit to self）. To minimize dispraise of other and maximize praise of other； to minimize praise of self and maximize dispraise of self； to minimize disagreement between self and other and maximize agreement between self and other； to minimize antipathy between self and other and maximize sympathy between self and other.

1.3 The Politeness Principles of Chinese Culture

Politeness principles are deep rooted in Chinese culture， which can be concluded as follows：

・ The first is to belittle ourselves and respect others. When talking about ourselves or the person related to us， we should be modest. While referring to the audience or the listener， we should respect them.

・ The criteria of salutation.

To use appropriate appellation to greet with each other. The salutation must reflect their age， position， status and their social interpersonal relationship between each other.

・ Elegant criteria.

To choose gentle words and do not use filthy words. To try to use euphemisms instead of expressing your feelings directly （avoid unpleasant or embarrassing things）.

・ Seek common similarities.

The speaker and the listener should try to develop a harmonious relationship with each other and try to meet each other’s desire. When you have to criticize others or express a different opinion. Firstly you should praise and then degrade， that is to show your respect to him by pointing out that both sides must have something in common， and then speak the differences， what you are not approving of or the place that should be criticized. So criticism is not regarded as a polite speech act， but it can be done in a polite way.

・ Giving and Receiving Compliments

When we listen to people speak a foreign language that we understand， we notice that the native speakers of that language use words and phrases in a manner different from what we are used to. In American English， for example， people say “Thank you” frequently. A word for “thank you” exists in almost every language， but how and when it is used is not always the same. In Chinese language， we do not thank people for trivial as well as important or unusual favors. For Americans， this expression is used as a polite response to different kinds of favors and compliments， and it is often automatic.

When being complimented， an English-speaking person would readily accept the compliment by saying something like “Thank you” to show his appreciation of the praise， but a Chinese speaker would try to deny the truth of the compliment. They both are being modest and they both think they are behaving properly. The English speaker is being polite by accepting and showing appreciation of the compliment， he avoids hurting the positive face of the person who makes it； the Chinese speaker is showing modesty by denigrating himself， ignoring the factuality of the compliment paid to him. As has been mentioned， self-denigration has been at the core of the Chinese notion of politeness for over two thousand years， the Chinese， in order to show modesty， will go to such lengths as to understate what he has achieved and deny the truth of a complimentary remark.

2. Politeness Principles in the Embodiment of Etiquette

To show your respect and carefulness to the culture of your counterpart， it is a foundamental requirement to grasp the knowledge of business etiquette. A better understanding of business etiquette is important to the success of business negotiation.

2.1 Dressing Etiquette

Dressing is a kind of silent language. It can reflect a person’s accomplishment， character， temperament， hobbies and pursuit. If you want to improve your image by dressing， you should obey the following principles.

・ The Ensemble Principle

The ensemble beauty of dressing is formed of the inner and external beauty of the clothes. External beauty refers to the outside manifestation of the body and the clothes， while the inner beauty can be reflected from your spirit， temperament， accomplishment and artistic conception of the clothes itself. The ensemble beauty of dressing is constituted of many factors， including your figure， your inner temperament， and the style， color， texture， processing skill of the clothes. Dressing properly can construct a harmonious and ensemble beauty. So dressing must follow the ensemble principle.

・ The Personality Principle

The clothes of the personality principle refer to the individual character， which is reflected from a person’s age， figure， temperament， hobbies and profession. Everyone wants to be accepted and admitted by society. In the choice of clothes， we should also notice your own personality. The clothes should be corresponded to your individual temperament， through which we can see the charming of your personality. Don’t chase after fashion blindly， which often lacks vitality. We should dress in our own way.

・ 4W principle

4w principle is the one of the most popular dressing method， which represents who， where， when and why.

Who The beauties of dressing rely on human existence， which is reflected by the person who wears it. As the saying goes： “cut the dress according to one’s figure”， broadly speaking， the “figure” contains the personality， hobbies， occupation， size and the age of the wearer. The dress contains a different aesthetic feeling while the “figure” varies. A well-developed， skillful manufacturing and color harmonious clothes must be coordinated with the external conditions and the internal factors of the wearer.

Where Place makes a very big influence in dressing. In formal occasions， such as in negotiating ones， the main color of dressing should be brunet. Try to avoid bright-colored dress.

When The clothes differ according to the time. We can’t confuse the pajamas you wear in the morning with the suit you wear at night to attend the meeting. If you wear vest in the winter， it would be ridiculous. Now， the popular clothing is branded as “fashion”. Fashion isn’t equal to garment. What is fashionable today may be out of date tomorrow. Therefore， time is regarded as the “soul of fashion”.

Why Different dress wearings represent different purposes. Overalls embody safe and comfortable performance； Sports wear is used when doing exercise. Suits and leather shoes are an ideal choice for formal occasion. In a word， such as reception clothes， judge’s robe， and white coat， they all serve one particular purpose. The skills to choose the right style according to different purposes can reflect the personal cultivation and win respect from others.

2.2 Talking Etiquette

First， pay attention to the volume of your voice. If you speak too loud， it may give others an impression that you have no self-cultivation. There are two advantages to speak a little lower. One is to in line with the norms and the other is that it is easy to the ear. Second， be careful to select the content as speech is the picture of the mind. The issues you are talking about must be what you are thinking and you should know what should be discussed and what shouldn’t. Never talk about anything except the business because your counterpart may think that you’re wasting his time. Besides this， you should also grasp some basic skills which will help you to be recognized by others in business negotiation.

3. POLITENESS PRINCIPLES IN THE EMBODIMENT OF THE LANGUAGE

In negotiation， the expression of your language and the use of strategy are very important. First， your expression should be moderate and tactful. That could make your relationship close and make the other side easy to accept. It can reflect negotiator’s good self-cultivation and at the same time clear the atmosphere， avoiding misunderstandings and conflicts. Now we will discuss how to achieve the purpose of being polite from the perspective of pragmatics， both vocabulary and syntax level.

3.1 In Vocabulary Aspects

In negotiation， we should pay attention to the use of vocabulary. The appropriate vocabulary can retain the face of the recipient， thus making the negotiation go on smoothly.

3.1.1 Self Appellations

The first person narration can influence the relationship between the speaker and the recipient. In certain situations it can change the recipient’s view about the speaker.

Such as：

a）. Sorry， Tom. But I can’t have a motion until I get rid of this amendment.

b）. Sorry， Tom. But we can’t have a motion until we get rid of this amendment.

The meaning of a） and b）is basically the same， but there is a big difference in expressing the relationship between the speaker and the recipient. In a）， it expresses the speaker’s opinion directly by using “I”. While in b）， “we” reduces the speaker’s position and maintains an equal relationship between the speaker and recipient. Also， it suggests that the speaker is just one of the people to decide， thereby reduce their responsibility.

3.1.2 Indefinite Pronoun

Using indefinite pronoun can make you express your meaning more objective and humility. As a “negative polite” strategy， we can express our views properly.

For example：

a）. You shouldn’t do things like that.

b）. One shouldn’t do things like that.

Apparently the latter one is more polite than the former one. The word “one” focuses the debate on the things， not on the person， thus reduces the loss of the recipient’s face.

3.1.3 Modal Verbs

The modal verb， such as “have to”， “must”， plays the role of “negative polite” in apology， suffering that the speaker’s behavior is caused by some external factors and that is not the will of him. Such as： I have to call my home office and then make a decision.

3.1.4 Fuzzy Languages

“Vague language” is defined as “the expression of tentativeness and possibility （an expression of elastic and possibility）”. Considering their own interests or being polite to others， they often use fuzzy words. For example： well， perhaps， you could rethink this issue. “Well”， “perhaps”， these kinds of words can give the recipient a lot of leeway to allow him to rethink whether this issue is feasible and that is a “negative polite” strategy.

3.2 In Syntax Aspects

The meaning of the sentence may be different if the syntax of the sentence varies. We should choose more passive voice sentences， questions and transitional sentences.

3.2.1 The Passive Voice

Understanding is the processing of mind and representation on the level of consciousness. When threatening the face of the listener， the speaker often avoids mentioning the name of the recipient. That can build a cognitive context， maintaining the face of the recipient. In business negotiation， people often use passive sentences to reduce the loss of the face of the recipient.

Comparing：

a）. You made no allowance for inflation in your estimate.

b）. No allowance for inflation in this estimate.

In a）， the speaker only considers his own position， without regarding the recipient’s felling. But in b）， the speaker uses passive sentence to widen the distance with the recipient. What he said seems to have nothing to do with the recipient， thus protecting the face of him. In business communication， using passive forms can avoid talking arbitrarily， make what you say sound more objective and protect other’s face as far as possible.

3.2.2 Question

For the recipient， interrogation and command are regarded as imposing of the speaker’s will. The tag question and general question can provide an objective condition for the requirement and make it less directly and overbearing. For example， Could you please arrange for payment to be made？

3.2.3 Transitional Sentences

To maintain the recipient’s negative face， when the speaker poses a threat to the face of the recipient， he needs to imply that he has considered the needs of the recipient. Transitional sentence is a very typical example. When threatening the recipient’s face， transitional sentence can weaken the face loss of the recipient. For example， I really don’t want to bother you， but we usually accept your payment by irrevocable letter of credit payable against shipping documents.

4. THE POLITENESS PRINCIPLES IN THE REFLECTION OF BEHAVIOR

Talking is the main part of the negotiation process， a good negotiator must have the ability to keep his interests consistent with all kinds of behavior. Different countries have the different body language， so is in the business negotiation. In negotiations， we must pay attention to the details of body language. Only in this way can we achieve a consensus more smoothly in the process of negotiation.

4.1 The General Standards of Body Language

Body language is very important in business negotiation. But in different cultures， the meaning of the same body language may vary accordingly. The following are some behaviors that are recognized universally.

・ Shaking Hands

Today， in many countries， holding hands has become a common amenity of showing affection and politeness. Shaking hands is more meaningful than saying “hello”， or “nice to see you”. The most important is， when shaking hands， both of your palms must be in contact， which is more important than shaking hands tightly. The touch of the palm can let a person feel your sincerity and think that you are open-minded. Doing business with this kind of person may let you feel relieved and have no pressure. In negotiation， if you touch your client’s hand with your palm when shaking hands with moderate power， you have been more competitive than your rival. If you use too much power， it means you lack safety and you want to get some comfort by this way； If you shake hands with your palms down， that expresses your desire for dominance.

Eyes

The eyes are said to be the window to the soul and they reveal the deeper meaning behind the spoken word. When you look at each other， you can understand more of the other. Otherwise， when the person is talking， he can also have an understanding of you if you look at his eyes. He can get such information， that is， if the hearer is listening， whether his words can be accepted or understood. The understanding， respect and attention from the hearer can convey to the speaker from the eyes. If the other party is talking， while you look at the extraneous matters， or look in all directions， your eyes will be lax. This must be negative information reflected to the speaker. Learn to use eye contact. Don’t have any facial expression or smile， just keep silent. Sometimes keeping quiet is even more important than speaking. Your eyes must focus on the other’s face， between the forehead and double lip.

The modern Spanish philosopher Autauga said “the speakers’ eyes can tell you their inner world”. Man and woman exchange their love by eyes. From ‘The whole soul is hidden in his eyes’ to ‘Don’t say， your eyes have already told me what you want to say’， we can see the important function of eye contact in communication. Eye contact is an essential part of any communication. Without it people are unlikely to relate the message in a meaningful way. Not many people realize how important eye contact is， or how sensitive people are to it. Eye contact should be a positive form of body language communication， but if it is not used correctly it can easily become negative. In business negotiation， avoid shifting eyes and head quickly during conversation when someone asks you a question. Do not look down or look aside. Look directly at the person with a sense of confidence but not overbearingly threatening in nature.

Gestures and facial expression

It is estimated that the human face can create more than 1/4 million different expressions. Emotions such as happiness and sadness cannot be easily hidden in most cultures. However， the same facial expression may contain a different meaning in various cultures. For example， winking carries romantic and sexual connotations in Paraguay. While in the USA， it is a sign of a joke or a way to indicate everything is OK. In France and Australia， it is considered impolite.

Hand and body gestures are often used to emphasize a point and add meaning to the spoken word. When used properly， they can have a powerful force in capturing the attention of the audience. But the reverse is also true. As a listener， watching out for the hand movements or body gestures used by the speaker can give an interesting insight into the true attitude behind the words. Using your gestures and facial expression properly can promote your relationship with others. There was once a story about the comparison between the differences before and after one learns how to smile. When you are cold， you feel the other is seriously cold. But when you have learned how to smile， you will find that the people you meet also smile at you. What it means is worth thinking about.

4.2 The Difference of Body Language in Different Culture

In different countries， the expression of welcoming the guests is different. Indian people often put their hands together before their chests like prayers. But in Thailand， that means “thanks”. And in Spain， Italy， they greet by kissing each other’s cheeks when they first meet with their opposite sex. That is very normal and there’s no special meaning. However， the British kiss each other only with family members or close friends.

Japanese people usually bow down to elders even to friends and colleagues when greeting. In Britain， people shake hands only in the first meeting or when they meet again after a long separation. But in southern Europe， they will also shake hands tirelessly even if one sees each other every day. From the following example， we can see how important it is to understand each other’s custom.

Japanese businessman Masako Seto and American businessman Bob Jones， never met before. And they both knew little about each other’s culture background. This time， the two people were going to Singapore to attend a business meeting. The two men had appointed to have a talk before the meeting. Both sides arrived on time. Seto soon noticed that Jones was older than him and was wearing a suit of high quality. He prepared to greet Jones in Japan’s most polite way. Seto stops two steps away from Jones suddenly， with both hands helping his knees， and made a 90 degrees bow in front of Jones. At the same time， Jones put out his hand， which stabed Seto’s eyes. To this， Jones felt embarrassed， and kept apologizing. So he came forward to hold Seto’s shoulder. This never happened in Japan. In order not to lose face and save his first turnovers. Seto got rid of Jones’ hand， standing in front of Jones once again， making a more deeply bow. Seeing this， Jones thought Seto was going to fall， so he caught Seto’s shoulders， and helped him sitting on the chair nearby， then he also sat down. Once again he put out his hand， but Seto refused to shake hands with Jones. He thought he lost face in public. He was being insulted because someone grabbed his shoulders. Jones was also very depressed. One reason was that he stabbed Seto’s eyes， the other was that the Japanese didn’t accept his friendly handshake. Now we can see that how would the business go on after the first meeting.

In the negotiations with native English-speaking countries， if you see some of them pull their lobe， it suggests that “this is the secret between us”. The same act， in Spain， Italy and Greece it may be thought as insult or contempt. When we reach a consensus， we may stretch out our right hand， with our thumb and forefinger doing a ring shape to show our excitement， which means “very good， agreement”. but the Japanese people may understand it as “money” because it looks like a coin. The French will think it equals “zero”. The Netherlands and Columbia businessman may mistakenly think that it means hates and detestable. In Tunisia， the gesture is sending the warning： be careful， or I kill you.

If you want to praise your partner that he is bright and witty， usually you will extend your forefinger， pointing to one side of the head， but you can’t do this to Dutch customer because they may think you mean that he is crazy or stupid.

Patting your nose slowly， the simple gesture， there are different explainings in English-speaking countries. Such as： this is a secret； don’t be so curious， pay attention to your own business and It seems some suspicious.

When associated with foreigners， we should pay attention to our behavior and don’t make subconscious actions which may cause misunderstanding. Between the feast， the host persuades you to drink and eat. If the guests want to refuse， in English-speaking countries the guests often say： “thank you” and shaking their heads， or gently wave their hands. Indonesia often put out their hands with palms outwards. Arabs will slightly nod their heads and put their right hands on their chests.

When talking between meals， we often express our good wishes to each other. In English speaking countries they often cross their forefinger and middle finger together to express the wish. But in other countries， they may doubt your sexual orientation if you make this gesture. When talking about the prices with foreigners， some people like to make gestures in order to make sure the right number. For example， when referring “8”， they stretch out their thumbs and forefingers. But that may make foreigners confused， because in their eyes it doesn’t have that meaning. You know， foreigners count the number by stretching out the same amount of fingers. For example， saying “8”， they stretch out eight fingers. The gesture “V” is well-known. When doing this gesture， you must be sure that the back of your hand faces yourself. Because if you face others， that means rough and individualistic.