The Application of the Politeness Principle in Business Negotiation

The Application of the Politeness Principle in Business Negotiation礼貌原则在商务谈判中的运用ByShen XiaofangStudent ID Number: 201103012109Supervisor: Zhang YuNov. 2nd , 2012论文摘要商务谈判是一种运用语言艺术进行的活动，它作为经济活动的起点，对交易活动的成功与否，在很大程度上依赖于语言的运用。

本文通过对礼貌原则发展和商务谈判特点的分析，提出了五种礼貌方法：模糊表达、委婉表达、低调陈述、恭维言辞以及表示感谢。

总之，礼貌原则在商务谈判中的运用要求我们在拥有相关技巧、策略、素质与能力的基础上做到随机应变、具体问题具体分析。

关键词：商务谈判；礼貌原则；合作原则；作用；表达AbstractBusiness negotiation is an activity achieved with the help of language arts, it as the starting point of economic activity, whether it succeeds or not depends largely on the use of language. This article analyzes the development of politeness principle and the special features of business negotiation, which proposes five methods: vagueness, euphemism, understatement, compliment and gratefulness.In short, the politeness principle, the application in business negotiations requests us in master related skills, strategy and based on the quality and ability of random strain, it concrete analysis.Key words: business negotiation; politeness principle; cooperation principle; function; expressionTable of ContentsAbstract (Chinese) (I)Abstract (English) (II)1. Introduction (1)1.1Background of the thesis (1)1.2 Significance of the present study (1)2. Definition of Politeness Principle (1)3. The Application of Politeness Principle in Business Negotiation (2)3.1 vagueness (2)3.2 euphemism (3)3.3 understatement (4)3.4 compliment (4)3.5 gratefulness (4)4. Conclusion (4)Bibliography (5)Acknowledgements (6)1. Introduction1.1 Background of the thesisIn recent years, the connection between China and the rest of the world is getting closer and closer. The communication to the outside and the rapid development of international trade and economy are expanding, so business negotiation plays an important role today. It is essentially a kind of activity through language. Whether it will succeed depends on the application of language to a large extent.Politeness is a kind of complex social phenomenon, which is one of the most important ways in maintaining and improving social relationship with each other. As a potential agreement, it has the power of restricting social members’ speech acts. In business negotiation, politeness is regarded as one of the most important factors that can keep negotiation goes on smoothly.1.2 Significance of the present studyPoliteness Principle put forward by English scholar Leech has a great guidance to the success of business negotiation, and plays an important role in the course of business negotiation. Therefore, it is necessary for negotiators to know and master how Politeness Principle is used in business negotiation. It is hoped that the study can provide business negotiators with some rules and guidance, help them to settle conflicts and disputes in business negotiation and to create a harmonious and cooperative relations with the application of proper polite language and strategies, and finally realize high efficiency and win-win of business negotiation.2. Definition of Politeness PrinciplePoliteness as a social phenomenon can be observed in all languages and cultures，and it has long been made an important object of study in linguistics. According to the Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, politeness is defined as the combination of interpersonal consideration and linguistic interactions. (Richard 352) Politeness is the symbol of human civilization and important criterion of human social activity.Politeness is the sign of human civilization, an important code of human socialactivity. As a kind of social activity, language activity is also restricted by the same code. Politeness Principle is that in the same other conditions, minimizing the expression of impolite beliefs. Politeness is the attitude of one party to another party. It comes to both parties. The English famous pragmatist G.N. Leech (1983.64) called the two parties "self " and "other ". In letters, "self” usually means to the writer, and "other" may be the receiver, or a third party who has been mentioned or not mentioned in the letter. Therefore, politeness, what a writer express can be aimed at a receiver or a third party. It is not symmetry in nature. Politeness is the foundation of establishing good human and cooperative relationship. Successful development of business communication depends on establishment of good social relationship.·3. The Application of Politeness Principle in Business NegotiationThe politeness principle is put forward for business negotiation injection many exciting elements, the positive meaning of the politeness principle in business negotiation also is more diversified. To a certain extent, Business negotiation plays a decisive role to the development of two parties’ friendship.·3.1 VaguenessAs a kind of politeness strategy, fuzzy expression can not only relieve and ease the speaker's tone, abate to threaten each other face behavior, but also can give oneself leave adequate leeway, improving negotiation atmosphere.For example,A：Mr．Lin，I am anxious to know about your offer．B：Well，we’ve been holding it for you，Mr．Smith．Here it is 500 cases of black tea，at$20 per kilogram，CIF Liverp001．Shipment will be in July．A：That’s a high price! It will be difficult for tic to make any sales．B：I'm rather surprised to hear you say that，Mr．Smith．You know the price of black tea has gone up since last year．Ours compares favorably with what you might get elsewhere.A：l am afraid 1 can’t agree with you here．India has just come into the market with a lower price．B：Ah，but everybody in the tea trade knows that China’s black tea is of topquality．Considering the quality．I should say the price is reasonable．A：No doubt，yours is of a high quality，but still there has been competition in the tea market．I understand some countries are actually lowering their price．B：So far our commodities have stood the competition well．The very fact that other clients keep on buying speaks for itself．Few other teas can compare with ours either for flavor or color．A：But I believe we’11 have a hard time convincing our clients at your price．B：To be frank with you，if it weren’t for our good relation，we wouldn’t consider making you a firm offer at this price．A：All right．In order to get the business，I accept·B：I’m glad that we’ve settled the price．(From English for International Business Negotiation)Then the author analysis the following sentences:(1)That is a high price! It will be difficult for US to make any sales．(2)But I believe we’11 have a hard time convincing our clients at your price．(3)No doubt．yours is of a high quality．(4)Few other teas can compare with ours either for flavor or color.In the process of business negotiation, it is impossible to force the other side to come to an agreement.Therefore, in terms of language, both sides should try to leave adequate leeway, such not only can let both sides feel valued, but also take into account both the psychological, if the two sides in the negotiation process want to change his attitude, they will not feel no face. As the case (1), A use "difficult” instead of “impossible ", so he is in the process of trying to convince the other reduce prices, leave some room for myself. Even if the other party refuses his counter-offer, so that he had to according to the original transaction, he still can save his face. Similarly in several examples of the "hard ti me ", of high quality ", “few “these vague expressions take the same effects.3.2 EuphemismIn business negotiations, because of the time, place, atmosphere is different, some words need to take tactful expression , this can not only reflect the speaker 's culture,but also can alleviate the atmosphere, avoid conflicts, so as to achieve the purpose of communication.3.3 UnderstatementUnderstatement is a kind of effective method to express their advantage, avoid a bad impression that boast, arrogant and exaggerate themselves. For example：avoiding slick words(1) a．This kind of lighter has good performance and can be used for long time．b．This kind of lighter can operate continually more than 40，000 times apiece．(2) a．If we finalize this deal，you can make big profits with a small capital．b．You may know，Mr．Zhang，chief engineer of a company from your country He signed a contract with US last time，and made a profit of over U．S．$300，000．3.4 ComplimentEveryone hopes that others can identify themselves .Therefore, appropriate wordsof praise can meet each other's psychological demand, increasing the probability of success. Relative above a few politeness strategies, this is the most familiar to people.3.5 GratefulnessBy appreciation, can let others feel your sincerity, thus with each other to maintain a mutual trust, long-term friendly relations. For example:We appreciate your products very much，and we really need them，too．But it is too bad that we now have some difficulties to afford such a big sum．We were wondering whether you could take a more flexible policy towards that．In fact, the above five kinds of Pragmatic Politeness Strategy, in many cases, will overlap, but also complementary. We need ceaseless exploration in practice and flexibility application of these strategies according to the specific time, place, object and other factors.4. ConclusionIn international business negotiations, negotiators not only should follow the trade rules but also maintain their own benefits. In order to make the negotiation succeed, negotiators need to persuade their opponents. Business negotiation is essentially a kind of verbal communication, and sometimes it is a play with words.Therefore, negotiators should know better about the language strategies.Politeness Principle consists of vague expression, euphemistic expression, understatement, flattering words, appreciation. Among them, vague expression can help negotiators to avert being offensive or over polite and euphemistic expression would show respect to other negotiators. Flattering words would help negotiators to draw people nearer, and to win the opponent’s trust. Understatement would convince other negotiators and avoid self-boasting. Appreciation can make other feel warmed and avoid arousing other’s antipathy.In this paper, all I do is to investigate how Politeness Principle works in the context of business negotiation. It is effective for negotiators to play right. As every coin has two sides, going to extremes often backfires. The application of Politeness Principle will be of great help in business negotiation. To be brief, Politeness Principle plays an important role in business negotiation. As a negotiator, he/she should have the knowledge of business trade and need to master the language strategies of negotiation·BibliographyEll Yule，G．Pragmatics[M]．上海：上海外语教育出版社，2000．Brown & Levinson．Politeness：some universals in language usage[M]．Cambridge：Cambridge University Press。