Business English Negotiation: Phrases, Scripts, and Practice Dialogues

Key takeaways

• The right phrase at the right moment does more than forceful language. Precision is what moves business negotiations forward.
• Negotiation vocabulary divides into six stages: opening, proposing, countering, handling objections, seeking concessions, and closing. Knowing which phrase fits which stage is the core skill.
• Phrases like I’m afraid and I understand your position, however keep negotiations moving without creating friction. This is the expected professional register, and using it signals competence.
• In a live negotiation there is no time to search for the right phrase. The language needs to be automatic, which means drilling scripts until the phrases are instinctive, not just familiar.

The meeting room is quiet. Both sides have laid out their positions. Now comes the moment most non-native English speakers dread: the live negotiation, where the language has to come quickly and correctly, and where choosing the wrong register can affect the outcome.

italki connects you with business English teachers who can run real negotiation role-plays with you, give feedback on your phrasing, and help you build the confidence that only comes from practice under realistic pressure.

This guide covers the six stages of a business negotiation, the key business English vocabulary for each stage, common language traps to avoid, and two full practice dialogue scripts you can use for role-play. 

Opening the negotiation

The opening sets the tone. Professional negotiation openings establish agenda, signal good faith, and frame the conversation without committing to positions before the real discussion begins.

Phrase	Function
Thank you for making the time. I’d like to start by outlining what we’re hoping to achieve today.	Agenda setting
Before we get into the details, shall we agree on how we’d like to structure this conversation?	Process framing
We see this as an opportunity to build on our existing relationship.	Good faith signal
I’d like to understand your priorities before presenting our position.	Information gathering
Our goal today is to find an arrangement that works well for both sides.	Mutual benefit framing
We’ve reviewed the proposal and we have a few points we’d like to explore with you.	Neutral opening of substantive discussion

Work with a Business English teacher to practice opening a negotiation in a way that sets the tone you want: neither too aggressive nor too accommodating, and to adjust your phrasing for different cultural contexts, since negotiation norms vary significantly across countries.

Making a proposal

Clear, conditional proposals create flexibility and invite dialogue. Vague proposals invite misunderstanding.

Phrase	Function
We’d like to propose…	Direct proposal
What we’re suggesting is…	Softer proposal framing
One option we could explore is…	Tentative, exploratory proposal
We could offer X, provided that…	Conditional proposal
If you were able to commit to X, we could look at…	Linking concession to condition
Our position is X, and here’s the rationale behind it…	Proposal with justification
We’d be prepared to move on X if we could agree on Y.	Trade proposal
Subject to final approval, we could consider…	Conditional with authority caveat

The conditional structure is your most useful tool: We could X if you were able to Y. It keeps both sides in motion, signals flexibility, and creates a clear logical connection between concessions on both sides without either party losing face.

Countering an offer

Countering does not mean rejecting. The goal is to redirect, not shut down.

Phrase	Function
I appreciate the offer. However, we were expecting something closer to…	Acknowledge and redirect
That’s a starting point. What flexibility do you have on X?	Open the door without accepting
We’re not quite there yet, but I think we can close that gap.	Signal movement is possible
I’m afraid that doesn’t quite work for us because…	Polite rejection with reason
Could we look at this from a slightly different angle?	Reframe the conversation
We’d need to see something in the region of X to make this work.	State your counter without a hard number first
That’s more than we budgeted for. Is there any room to move on that?	Direct counter question

Register note: I’m afraid that doesn’t work for us sounds more professional than That’s not acceptable. The second phrasing closes the door; the first keeps the conversation open while being equally firm.

Handling objections

Objections are part of negotiation, not interruptions to it. The skill is acknowledging them without conceding ground you need to hold.

Phrase	Function
I understand your concern about X. Let me address that directly.	Acknowledge before responding
That’s a fair point. What we can offer in response is…	Validate and redirect
I hear what you’re saying. The challenge from our side is…	Acknowledge the other position while explaining your constraint
Could you help me understand why X is a concern for you?	Probe the objection before responding
If we could resolve X, would you be comfortable moving forward on Y?	Test whether the objection is the real blocker
We’ve encountered this concern before. Here’s how we addressed it…	Normalise and reassure
I appreciate you raising that. It’s worth discussing…	Buy time and show respect

Seeking and offering concessions

A concession offered without anything in return loses twice: you give something and get nothing. Frame every concession as part of a trade.

Phrase	Function
We could move on X if you could meet us on Y.	Conditional concession
If you’re able to confirm the order by Friday, we could look at a better price.	Time-linked concession
We’re flexible on the timeline, but we’d need something in return on the payment terms.	Signal flexibility with condition
This is already at the edge of what we can offer, but let me see what I can do.	Create urgency without closing off
I’d be willing to take that back to the team and see if there’s room to move.	Buy time legitimately
That’s something we can consider, but it would need to be offset by…	Accept in principle with condition
We’re prepared to make that concession, but we’d ask you to consider…	Formal concession language

A private Business English tutor can help you practice these trades in a real role-play so the conditional structure becomes automatic rather than something you have to consciously reach for.

Closing the deal

The closing confirms agreement and clarifies exactly what was agreed before anyone leaves the room.

Phrase	Function
I think we’re close to an agreement. Let me summarise what we’ve discussed.	Summary before close
So, to confirm: you’ll do X and we’ll do Y. Does that reflect your understanding?	Explicit confirmation
We’re happy to proceed on that basis.	Acceptance
Subject to putting this in writing, I think we have a deal.	Conditional acceptance
Let’s agree to take this forward and finalise the details by [date].	Commit to next steps
I’d like to circle back on one point before we close.	Raise a final item without reopening everything
We appreciate your flexibility on this. I think this works well for both sides.	Close with positive framing
Let’s get this documented and over to legal.	Operational close

After the meeting: Sending a summary email within 24 hours that confirms what was agreed is standard professional practice and prevents the common that’s not what I understood situation. Use the phrases: To confirm what we agreed today…, Following our conversation, I understand the agreed terms are…, Please let me know if this does not reflect your understanding.

Practice dialogue: supplier price negotiation

Use this dialogue for role-play. Take turns playing both sides.

Buyer: Thank you for coming in. We’ve reviewed your proposal and we’d like to discuss the pricing structure.

Supplier: Of course. We’re confident in the value we’re offering, but we understand you may have questions.

Buyer: Your pricing comes in about 15% above what we budgeted for. Is there any flexibility there?

Supplier: I appreciate you being direct. We don’t have much room to move on the unit price, but could you tell me more about your budget constraints? There might be other ways we can make this work.

Buyer: Our ceiling is X per unit. That’s firm for this contract. What we can offer in return is a committed 12-month order with quarterly payments.

Supplier: That’s helpful context. A 12-month commitment changes the picture for us. If you’re able to lock in the volume at X units per quarter, we could come down to Y per unit.

Buyer: Y is closer to where we need to be. We could meet you at Z if you’re also able to include the extended warranty at no additional cost.

Supplier: Let me take that back to my team. If we can confirm by Thursday, would you be comfortable signing the heads of agreement then?

Buyer: That works. To summarise: Z per unit, 12-month commitment, quarterly payments, extended warranty included. We’ll confirm volume figures in writing today.

Practice dialogue: contract terms negotiation

Party A: We’ve reviewed the draft contract and we have a few points we’d like to revisit before we sign.

Party B: Of course. What are the main concerns?

Party A: The liability cap in section 7 is lower than our standard. We’d need to see it raised to reflect the scope of the project.

Party B: I understand your concern. Could you walk me through what you’re looking for specifically?

Party A: We’d want to see the cap at 150% of the contract value rather than 100%.

Party B: That’s a significant move for us. I’m afraid we can’t accept 150% without something in return. If we were to increase the cap, we’d need a longer notice period for contract termination: 90 days rather than 30.

Party A: That’s workable on our side. The other item is the payment schedule. We’d prefer front-loading the first payment to 40% rather than the current 25%.

Party B: We could consider 35%. We’re not in a position to go to 40% on this project.

Party A: 35% works. So: cap at 150%, 90-day notice, first payment at 35%. Shall I send a revised draft reflecting those points?

Party B: Yes, let’s get that in writing. Subject to legal sign-off, I think we have an agreement.

Build negotiation fluency with a teacher

Reading these scripts and dialogues helps you see the patterns. But negotiation fluency: the ability to reach for the right phrase under pressure, when the other side just said something unexpected: only comes from live practice.

No script prepares you for every move. What prepares you is drilling the underlying patterns until they feel instinctive: conditional proposals, polite rejections, trades and concessions. A teacher who runs real negotiation role-plays with you, stops you to correct phrasing in the moment, and then replays the scenario will build fluency faster than reading scripts alone ever will. italki has 30,000+ expert tutors trusted by over 10 million learners. Book a trial lesson and run your first negotiation role-play this week.

FAQ

Is negotiation language different from general business English?

Yes. Negotiation English relies heavily on conditional structures (if… then…), hedging (we’d be prepared to consider…), and softened firmness (I’m afraid we can’t…). General business English covers broader professional communication. If you specifically need to negotiate contracts, prices, or terms, targeted negotiation vocabulary practice is worth the focused study.

How do I say no politely in a negotiation without closing the deal?

Use indirect refusals that acknowledge the offer and redirect: We’re not quite there yet, That’s not quite what we had in mind, I’m afraid that doesn’t work for us at this stage, or We’d need to see something different on X to make this work. All of these communicate no without shutting the conversation down.

What are the most common language mistakes non-native speakers make in English negotiations?

The three most common are: being too direct in refusals (which creates unnecessary friction), misusing modals for politeness (saying you must instead of you’d need to or we’d expect), and not using conditional structures when making proposals. All three can be corrected in a few focused practice sessions.

Should I use formal or informal English in a negotiation?

This depends on the relationship and the context. Negotiations with long-standing partners can be semi-formal. First-time negotiations with unknown counterparts should default to formal. When in doubt, start formal: it is always easier to relax register as the conversation warms up than to recover from opening too casually.