Will we soon be negotiating with machines? It’s possible. Artificial intelligence already analyses body language, recognises emotions in fractions of a second and calculates the most convincing conversation strategies in real time.

Coalition negotiations between the CDU/CSU and SPD begin today. Time is pressing, as the new government needs to be formed quickly.

Negotiations are not just about words. The way we stand, look, gesticulate or use our voice often influences our counterpart more than the actual content of what we say. But which signals have the greatest influence? Which ones can we control deliberately, and which ones are unconscious? And are there situations in which body language alone is not enough to improve the outcome of a negotiation?

Sound familiar? You’re in a negotiation, the other person is getting louder and louder, the arguments are colliding – and suddenly you realize that the situation is escalating. Emotions are boiling over, and logic has completely disappeared. The air crackles with tension, and you wonder how you actually ended up here.

Crucial negotiations can arise regularly: contracts need to be concluded, prices re-set and conditions adjusted. Whether you are talking about long-term contracts, discounts or delivery conditions – a well-thought-out agenda is the first tactical measure for negotiating success.

Do you also encounter viewpoints in negotiations that seem completely incomprehensible to you? A position or demand that makes you wonder, “How can anyone believe such a thing in the face of the actual facts?” Surely you can think of an example right away.

Many people perceive things as “true” in negotiations that are often not based on facts but on prejudices or assumptions, creating a “fallacious truth”. This leads to emotionalized decisions. Modern brain research explains why this is particularly dangerous in negotiations.

Negotiations can often become a psychological test of strength. Perhaps you are familiar with this as well. Unfair psychological tricks, the use of authority and personal pressure can cause stress and put you on the defensive. You lose control of the negotiation.

We love talking in negotiations: about us, what we want, why we want it and even more about how the other side’s desires are nonsense. However, on the other side of the table sits the source of information that I can use to improve my outcome. I just have to get the source to bubble.

We are all natural born questioners as children. We keep asking and asking and take nothing for granted. An ability that many of us have forgotten in adulthood.