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English Phrases for Negotiating

Negotiating in English is less about hard words and more about polite, careful language. These phrases help you make offers, push back without sounding rude, find a compromise and close the deal, at work or when buying something big.

33 phrases · By LearnLingo Team · Updated

Tap to hear a phrase. Levels follow the CEFR scale. American English is the default; British variants are noted.

Opening and setting goals

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

Thanks for meeting with us today.

A2
Bugün bizimle görüştüğünüz için teşekkürler.
  • Our pleasure.
  • Thanks for coming in.

What would you like to get out of this meeting?

B1
Bu toplantıdan ne elde etmek istersiniz?
  • We'd like to agree on the price today.
  • Mainly to understand your needs.

Let's see if we can find a solution that works for both of us.

B1
Bakalım ikimizin de işine yarayacak bir çözüm bulabilecek miyiz.
  • That's what we want too.
  • Sounds good.

Our main priority is quality.

B1
Ana önceliğimiz kalite.
  • Understood. Ours is the delivery date.

Could you tell us a bit more about your needs?

B1

Listening first gives you useful information before you make an offer.

İhtiyaçlarınızdan biraz daha bahsedebilir misiniz?
  • Sure. We need a long-term supplier.

Making offers

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

We're prepared to offer a two-year contract.

B2
İki yıllık bir sözleşme önermeye hazırız.
  • That's interesting. What are the terms?
  • We were hoping for three years.

If you can deliver by May, we can sign today.

B1

"If you..., we can..." offers something only in exchange for something.

Mayısa kadar teslim edebilirseniz bugün imzalayabiliriz.
  • May is tight, but we can try.
  • We could do June.

What if we ordered a larger quantity?

B2

"What if we..." suggests an idea without committing to it.

Peki daha büyük miktarda sipariş versek?
  • Then we could offer a discount.
  • Let me check with my team.

How about we split the difference?

B1

Each side moves halfway. Informal but common in business.

Farkı yarı yarıya paylaşsak nasıl olur?
  • That sounds fair.
  • I'm not sure we can go that far.

This is our best offer.

B1
Bu bizim en iyi teklifimiz.
  • Can we have a day to think about it?
  • Then I think we have a deal.

We can include free installation.

B1
Ücretsiz kurulumu dahil edebiliriz.
  • That helps a lot.
  • That's a good start.

Asking for a better deal

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

Is there any flexibility on the price?

B1

Softer than "Can you lower the price?"

Fiyatta biraz esneklik var mı?
  • There might be a little.
  • Not much, I'm afraid.

That's a bit more than we were expecting.

B1
Bu beklediğimizden biraz fazla.
  • What did you have in mind?
  • I understand. Let's look at the options.

Could you do any better on that?

B1
Bu konuda biraz daha iyisini yapabilir misiniz?
  • Let me see what I can do.
  • That's already our lowest rate.

Is that your final offer?

B1
Bu son teklifiniz mi?
  • Yes, I'm afraid it is.
  • There may be some room if you commit to a longer contract.

We've had a better offer from another supplier.

B2

Only say this if it is true. It can damage trust if it isn't.

Başka bir tedarikçiden daha iyi bir teklif aldık.
  • Can you tell us what they offered?
  • We can't match that, but our service is better.

What else can you include?

B1
Başka neyi dahil edebilirsiniz?
  • We could add extra training.
  • We can offer faster delivery.

Saying no politely

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

I'm afraid that doesn't work for us.

B1

"I'm afraid" makes a no sound polite, not scared.

Korkarım bu bizim için uygun değil.
  • What would work for you?
  • Okay, let's look at other options.

I'm not sure we can agree to that.

B1
Bunu kabul edebileceğimizden emin değilim.
  • What's the problem exactly?

That would be difficult for us.

B1

In business English this often means "no", said gently.

Bu bizim için zor olur.
  • Is there anything you could do?

Unfortunately, that's outside our budget.

B1
Ne yazık ki bu bütçemizin dışında.
  • What is your budget?
  • We could reduce the scope.

I'd need to check with my manager first.

B1

A polite way to buy time before you commit.

Önce yöneticime danışmam gerekir.
  • Of course. When can you let us know?

Finding a compromise

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

Let's look at this from a different angle.

B2
Buna farklı bir açıdan bakalım.
  • Okay, what do you suggest?

Would you be willing to meet us halfway?

B2
Bizimle orta yolda buluşmaya razı olur musunuz?
  • I think we can do that.
  • Halfway is still a lot for us.

We could agree to that on one condition.

B2
Bir şartla bunu kabul edebiliriz.
  • What's the condition?

As long as the quality stays the same, we can accept a later date.

B2
Kalite aynı kaldığı sürece daha geç bir tarihi kabul edebiliriz.
  • You have our word on that.

Can we come back to this point later?

B1

Useful when one point is blocking the rest of the deal.

Bu konuya daha sonra dönebilir miyiz?
  • Sure, let's move on for now.

Can we take a short break?

A2
Kısa bir ara verebilir miyiz?
  • Of course. Ten minutes?

Closing the deal

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

I think we have a deal.

A2
Sanırım anlaştık.
  • Great, let's shake on it.
  • Agreed.

So, do we have a deal?

A2
Yani, anlaştık mı?
  • Yes, we do.
  • Almost. Just one more thing.

Let me summarize what we've agreed.

B1

Always repeat the main points so there are no surprises later. UK spelling: "summarise".

Üzerinde anlaştığımız şeyleri özetleyeyim.
  • Good idea.

I'll send you the details in writing.

B1
Ayrıntıları size yazılı olarak göndereceğim.
  • Perfect, thank you.
  • Please copy our lawyer.

It's been a pleasure doing business with you.

B1
Sizinle iş yapmak bir zevkti.
  • Likewise.
  • We look forward to working together.

Sample dialogues

Negotiating with a supplier

Buyer
Thanks for the proposal. It's a bit more than we were expecting.
Teklif için teşekkürler. Beklediğimizden biraz fazla.
Supplier
I understand. What did you have in mind?
Anlıyorum. Aklınızda ne vardı?
Buyer
Is there any flexibility on the price if we sign a longer contract?
Daha uzun bir sözleşme imzalarsak fiyatta biraz esneklik var mı?
Supplier
For a two-year contract, we could offer a small discount.
İki yıllık bir sözleşme için küçük bir indirim sunabiliriz.
Buyer
That helps. Could you also include free delivery?
Bu iyi olur. Ücretsiz teslimatı da dahil edebilir misiniz?
Supplier
I'm afraid that would be difficult. How about we split the delivery cost?
Korkarım bu zor olur. Teslimat maliyetini paylaşsak nasıl olur?
Buyer
That sounds fair. So, do we have a deal?
Bu makul görünüyor. Yani, anlaştık mı?
Supplier
We do. I'll send you the details in writing today.
Anlaştık. Ayrıntıları bugün size yazılı olarak göndereceğim.

Asking for a raise

Employee
Thanks for making time for this. I'd like to talk about my salary.
Buna zaman ayırdığınız için teşekkürler. Maaşım hakkında konuşmak istiyorum.
Manager
Sure. What did you have in mind?
Tabii. Aklında ne vardı?
Employee
Over the past year, I've taken on two new clients and led the team project.
Geçen yıl boyunca iki yeni müşteri üstlendim ve ekip projesine liderlik ettim.
Employee
Based on that, I'd like to discuss a ten percent raise.
Buna dayanarak yüzde onluk bir zammı konuşmak istiyorum.
Manager
Ten percent is outside the budget this year, I'm afraid.
Korkarım yüzde on bu yılki bütçenin dışında.
Employee
I understand. Would you be willing to meet me halfway, with a review in six months?
Anlıyorum. Altı ay sonra yeniden değerlendirme şartıyla benimle orta yolda buluşmaya razı olur musunuz?
Manager
That could work. I'd need to check with HR first.
Bu olabilir. Önce İK'ya danışmam gerekir.
Employee
Of course. Thanks for considering it.
Elbette. Değerlendirdiğiniz için teşekkürler.

Common mistakes Turkish speakers make

Can you make a discount?

Could you give us a discount?

English says "give" or "offer" a discount, not "make" (Turkish "indirim yapmak").

Your price is too expensive.

Your price is too high.

Prices are "high" or "low". Products and services are "expensive" or "cheap".

This is not acceptable for us.

I'm afraid that doesn't work for us.

Direct translations of "kabul edilemez" sound harsh in English. Softeners like "I'm afraid" keep the talk friendly.

We want a better offer. Give us one.

Is there any way you could improve the offer?

Direct orders sound aggressive. English negotiators use questions and "could" to ask for more.

If you will deliver in May, we will sign.

If you deliver in May, we'll sign.

In first conditional sentences, the "if" part uses the present simple, not "will".

Quick quiz

Eight questions to check what you remember. Pick an answer to see if it is right.

  1. 1. "İndirim yapmak" in a negotiation is usually...

  2. 2. Which sentence asks for a lower price politely?

  3. 3. Complete: "If you ___ by May, we'll sign today."

  4. 4. "Let's split the difference" means...

  5. 5. In "I'm afraid that doesn't work for us", "I'm afraid" means...

  6. 6. Which is correct?

  7. 7. You need time before you agree. You say...

  8. 8. What should you do at the end of a negotiation?

0 of 8 answered

Show all answers
  1. give a discount
  2. Is there any flexibility on the price?
  3. deliver
  4. Each side moves halfway.
  5. I'm sorry to say.
  6. The price is too high.
  7. I'd need to check with my manager first.
  8. Summarize what you've agreed.

See what the B2 English course covers, or test your level first.

People also ask

How can I sound polite but firm in a negotiation?+

Use softeners like "I'm afraid", "unfortunately" and "I'm not sure we can", and make your requests as questions with "could". Your message stays clear, but the tone stays friendly.

Is bargaining normal in English-speaking countries?+

In shops, prices are usually fixed. People do negotiate salaries, contracts, cars, rent and big purchases. Markets and private sales are also often open to negotiation.

What does "meet halfway" mean?+

It means both sides give up something so they can agree in the middle. "Would you be willing to meet us halfway?" is a polite way to suggest a compromise.

Why are conditionals so common in negotiations?+

Sentences like "If you can..., we can..." link what you give to what you get. They help you make an offer without giving something away for free.

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