Negotiation Skills for ESL Learners: Harvard-Based Strategies Explained in Simple English

amandaliszewski
May 5
2 min read

Many English learners struggle with feeling confident during interviews, salary discussions, or business meetings. This post will teach you essential negotiation strategies, based on research from Harvard and shared by expert Josh Sanders. You’ll also learn useful English phrases and vocabulary to sound professional and clear.

📌 Harvard’s 6 Guidelines for Getting to a Yes (ESL Friendly)

Separate the people from the problem➤ Useful phrase: “Let’s focus on the issue, not the person.”
Focus on interests, not positions➤ Try: “What are your main goals in this situation?”
Manage emotions➤ ESL tip: Practice neutral phrases like “I understand your concern.”
Express appreciation➤ Say: “Thank you for sharing your thoughts.”
Use a positive tone➤ Replace “That won’t work” with “Let’s try another way.”
Avoid reaction cycles➤ Use pauses or say, “Let’s take a moment to think.”

💬 The 7-38-55 Rule (Body Language & Communication in English)

Only 7% of communication is the actual words!

➤ ESL Tip: Work on your tone and body language. Even if you’re unsure of every word, your voice and confidence will help you sound more fluent.

📘 The ZOPA Framework (Zone of Possible Agreement)

This concept helps you understand what range or outcome both parties are willing to accept.

➤ ESL Tip: Practice saying:

“What are you hoping to achieve?”
“Let’s see if we can meet in the middle.”

🔑 6 Top Negotiation Tips (In Simple English)

Use multiple bargaining points – "I can offer flexibility on X if we agree on Y."
Keep some info private – “Let’s focus on what we can agree on first.”
Understand motivations – “What’s most important to you in this deal?”
Adapt to emotion – Stay calm and respond thoughtfully.
Rewrite the rules – “Can we revisit this in a different setting?”
Leverage time – “I’d like to take a little time to consider.”

📥 Want More Practice?

Sign up for a 1-on-1 English coaching session to improve your communication skills with role-playing real world situations and actively practice to improve your English confidence.