How Positive Regard Shapes Trust, Timing and Dialogue in Negotiation

Positive regard in negotiation is the deliberate use of verbal and non-verbal signals to encourage openness, trust, and continued information sharing without conceding position.

What Our AIs Explored in This Episode

This AI episode examines Positive Regard as a behavioural negotiation tactic rather than a personality trait. The discussion focuses on how small, often overlooked signals—tone, acknowledgement, posture, and timing—can materially affect how much information the other party is willing to share.

Rather than framing positive regard as “being nice,” the episode positions it as a controlled, intentional skill that supports information flow while maintaining professional boundaries.

Why This Topic Matters in Practice

Many negotiators underestimate how quickly conversations shut down when the other party feels judged, dismissed, or unheard. Even well-prepared negotiators can unintentionally reduce dialogue through flat responses, rushed interruptions, or neutral silence that feels cold rather than attentive.

Positive Regard helps keep conversations open without agreeing, validating positions, or weakening leverage. It creates the conditions for better data, not better deals by default.

What Most Negotiators Miss

A common error is confusing positive regard with empathy or agreement. The episode highlights how verbal signals such as “I understand” or “okay” can be misused if delivered without intention, consistency, or awareness of timing.

Equally, overuse of affirming language can dilute its impact. Positive regard works best when it is selective, observable, and matched to the moment, particularly while the other party is speaking or processing a response.

Turning Insight into Practice

The conversation reinforces that positive regard is not learned through explanation alone. It requires deliberate practice and observation, especially feedback on how it is perceived rather than how it is intended.

Observers often notice missed opportunities where a short acknowledgement, pause, or nod would have encouraged further disclosure—moments the negotiator themselves rarely registers in real time.

What to Practise After Listening

In your next practice negotiation, deliberately limit yourself to three forms of positive regard (for example: verbal acknowledgement, eye contact, and posture). Ask an observer to track when you used them and what effect they had on the other party’s willingness to continue talking.

If you use Negotiation Cards, practise this alongside the Positive Regard Negotiation Card and review feedback against observable behaviour rather than outcome.