There are five types of negotiation: distributive, integrative, multiparty, team, and positional. Negotiation has become a crucial part of today’s world. Negotiation skills are frequently used to maintain our personal relationships. Most of us have family and friends we organize things with, budget with, and bargain about bedtime with. At some level, we often negotiate without even realizing it.

Many people don’t like to negotiate, viewing the process as a hassle. We might think we’re avoiding the negotiation process. However, we usually end up negotiating anyway, without realizing it. So, we may as well learn how to negotiate well. Learning about the different negotiation types is one effective way of learning the foundations of negotiation. There are five different types of negotiation that most negotiators don’t know. It includes distributive negotiation, integrative negotiation, multiparty negotiation, team negotiation, and positional negotiation. All the types of negotiation have been summed up below briefly.

1. Distributive Negotiation

Negotiation on a single issue refers to distributive negotiation. For instance, negotiating with a dealer over the price of a second-hand vehicle or bargaining with a street vendor. In this negotiation, one party wins and another party has to suffer a loss. Your success depends on your distributive negotiation skills.

2. Integrative Negotiation

When representatives of an employees’ union meet the management with their demands, They discuss, argue, present, oppose, convince, and so on. Then, they strike a deal on salaries and other benefits. This type of negotiation is known as integrative negotiation. There is more than one issue involved in integrative negotiation. Both parties gain something from the negotiation. It ensures a win-win situation for both the negotiating parties.

3. Multiparty Negotiation

The multiparty negotiation process involves three or more parties undertaking various negotiation strategies to drive home their points. For instance, five parties decide the issue and discuss its pros and cons. Multiple parties are involved in the negotiation.

4. Team Negotiation

As the name suggests, team negotiation takes place between the two teams. For example, it may be a negotiation done between two companies planning to merge. While forming a negotiation team, a company may look for members with excellent negotiation skills and highly developed strategic thinking abilities.

5. Positional Negotiation

Positional negotiation is when you spell out the position you are in, at the outset. Then, you defend that position against the attack. It is the most important type of negotiation. In this, both parties have fixed stances and stick to them obstinately. They may not consider the other party’s interest or see where they are coming from. Therefore, it is considered to be an unproductive type of negotiation.