Where should you sit in a negotiation?
- Mar 29
- 2 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
A client recently asked me whether seating position makes a difference in negotiations. The answer? Absolutely.
Where you sit can subtly - but significantly - impact the dynamics of the discussion, your ability to read the other party, and even your authority in the room. Here are a few key insights from my experience:
· Face the door. Take a seat that lets you see the entrance to the room. You don’t want distractions or surprises from behind. Staying aware of who enters the room increases your control.
· Have daylight behind you. If possible, position yourself with natural light at your back. This makes it harder for the other party to read your expressions and emotions, while you see the tiniest expressions of their emotions on their faces.
· Keep an eye on the screen. If a presentation is part of the negotiation, sit where you can see the screen without turning away from your counterpart. This instantly allows you to observe their reactions to the ideas or positions presented.
· Sit with your team. Some believe mixing seating arrangements with the other party fosters collaboration. While this might work in a sales pitch, true negotiations - even collaborative ones - demand strong internal communication. Keeping your team together ensures strategic alignment.
· Take the best available seat - always. In many corporate offices, seating arrangements are designed to reinforce hierarchy. A bigger chair, a higher podium, or a dominant position may be reserved for the host. My advice? Arrive early and take the most strategic seat available. Across hundreds of negotiations in my 35-year career, I’ve only been asked to move twice.
· Dealing with an authoritarian setup. Some negotiation or sales meetings may take place in the office of an old-school director, where they sit behind a large desk while others are positioned on both sides, forming a T-shape. This setup reinforces their authority and control. Depending on your objectives, you may want to shift this dynamic:
Place your laptop at the far end of the table for a presentation, forcing them to move from their dominant position to see what is being presented.
Engage their team members seated at the table across from you, drawing them into the discussion instead of addressing only the director. This makes the “boss” feel somewhat excluded and even ignored without being directly offended and may force him or her to sit among their team members to maintain control.
Invite the director to sit across from you, openly suggesting a more balanced and open conversation.
Choosing a seat is not just about comfort - it’s about positioning, strategy, and control. Next time you enter a negotiation, be mindful of where you sit. It might just change the outcome.
What’s your experience? Have you ever noticed the impact of seating in high-stakes discussions?