Diplomatic talks take place between nation-states (or their representatives) and are usually of a higher stake than in domestic contexts. Negotiations may be transactional, such as trade agreements or military cooperation; coercive, with the threat of sanctions or war; or a mixture of both.
A successful diplomatic negotiation preserves the status quo, creates new cooperative or regulatory institutions and/or ends hostilities. The most difficult negotiations plow new ground and may involve changing the rules of a conflict. They can also lead to the imposition of economic penalties or sanctions, or escalate a frozen conflict.
Good diplomats are skilled at establishing rapport and building trust in the context of complex international politics, with a strong sense of empathetic understanding and respect for their interlocutors. They avoid sarcasm and condescension, which may be misinterpreted as hostile or defensive. They also know how to communicate their own national interests in a way that satisfies the other negotiator’s goals. They can use indirection and lulling to gain leverage, they may stretch or abride the truth for strategic purposes, but they must not be caught bluffing, and they must remain calm and disciplined, even when emotions run high.
Great diplomats are good at passing on the results of their meetings to the appropriate policy makers quickly and clearly. They can craft a useful memo by nightfall that summarizes the points of contention and agreement, and offers a range of possible outcomes. They can also conduct informal meetings, such as the famous walks in the woods of Paul Nitze and Yuli Kvitsinsky between American and Soviet negotiators, that provide opportunities for truly interactional negotiation.