In many industries, negotiating is a critical skill. It shows that you're able to work with other people to achieve a common goal. When applying for a new job, you must show the skills that make you unique and valuable—and the present tense verb 'negotiate' is one way to do so!

Negotiation takes a lot of time and energy, and it's not something everyone wants to do—but when you have that skill, it puts you ahead of most applicants. However, the word 'negotiate' can be a problem to use repeatedly in your resume because it can sound redundant and make you seem like you're trying too hard to sell yourself.

It's good to use synonyms for 'negotiate' to avoid redundancy. Also, using the verb's past tense is suitable when detailing your past roles. For example, instead of saying 'negotiate,' say 'proposed', 'intermediated', or 'settled'.

Using synonyms will help keep your resume from sounding repetitive and effectively describe what you did at different points. It also helps demonstrate your skills in a more specific way so hiring managers can see how well-suited you would be for the position they're hiring for—someone who can work with others to reach the desired outcome.

I've compiled some synonyms you can use instead of Negotiate on your resume, followed by real examples I've written for clients (feel free to use them!).

Resume Synonyms for Negotiate:

Merged
Debated
Persuaded
Revised
Finalized
Composed
Mediated
Arbitrated
Rectified
Amended
Mitigated
Formulated
Pacified
Forged
Improvised
Conciliated
Settled
Cooperated
Lobbied
Influenced
Liaised
Transacted
Partnered
Sourced
Proposed
Spoke
Intermediated
Networked
Consulted
Adjusted
Agreed
Bargained
Contracted

How to replace Negotiate with a stronger action verb:

Let's look at examples of how you can remove and replace the overused phrase, Negotiate, with a stronger synonym and alternative that is more effective at highlighting your achievements.

Before: Weak example using Negotiate

• Negotiated costs for housing contracts

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Reduced costs for housing projects by 30% through negotiating contracts and comparing costs of procurement. .

Replacing Negotiate with Merged ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated company merger

⤸

After: Merged• Spearheaded a company merger by establishing cross-functional communication, leading to an increase of 15% in enterprise value within the first quarter.

The verb 'Spearheaded' is more descriptive and demonstrates leadership. The improved bullet point further emphasizes the candidates' role and the specific impact they had, providing tangible evidence of their influence.

Tip: I've prepared a ton of additional examples for you to give you inspiration. Please click on any of the following to expand and see real examples of how I've rewritten client bullet points.

Replacing Negotiate with Debated ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated sales contracts.

⤸

After: Debated• Spearheaded sales contracts debate that resulted in a 10% decrease in operational costs and a 7% increase in sales year-over-year.

The verb 'Spearheaded' conveys leadership and determination. Adding specific numbers and impact not only quantifies the candidate's achievements, but also provides context to their role.

Replacing Negotiate with Persuaded ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated with vendors on prices.

⤸

After: Persuaded• Persuaded vendors to offer a 20% cost reduction without compromising quality, saving the company $50K annually.

Using 'Persuaded' shows interpersonal skills and the ability to influence others. The 'after' statement includes specific results to demonstrate effectiveness.

Replacing Negotiate with Revised ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated better service contracts.

⤸

After: Revised• Revised service contracts, leading to a reduction of downtime by 25% and boosting customer satisfaction by 30%

'Revised' shows an active role in improving contracts. The 'after' statement gives specific metrics to clarify the candidate's impact.

Replacing Negotiate with Finalized ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated business development agreements.

⤸

After: Finalized• Finalized business development agreements that contributed to a 20% revenue growth in the first year.

'Finalized' conveys an image of conclusion and achievement. Showing the specific revenue growth provides concrete and significant evidence of the candidate's performance.

Replacing Negotiate with Composed ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated confidentiality agreements.

⤸

After: Composed• Composed and implemented confidentiality agreements, ensuring 100% compliance with data protection regulations.

The term 'Composed' elucidates the candidate's active role, while the 'after' statement not only quantifies the results but also showcases the professional's understanding of regulation compliance.

Replacing Negotiate with Mediated ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated inter-departmental conflicts.

⤸

After: Mediated• Mediated inter-departmental conflicts, resulting in a 35% improvement in cross-functional team collaboration.

By using 'Mediated', the candidate presents themselves as a problem-solver. The 'after' statement provides a quantitative measure of their influence on workplace culture.

Replacing Negotiate with Arbitrated ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated employee disputes.

⤸

After: Arbitrated• Arbitrated in employee disputes, leading to a 40% reduction in internal conflict and an improved workplace harmony.

Arbitrated' demonstrates conflict-resolution skills. The result statement offers a clear picture of the tangible benefits the candidate brought to the workplace environment.

Replacing Negotiate with Rectified ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated supplier terms.

⤸

After: Rectified• Rectified supplier terms, ensuring an uninterrupted supply chain that increased efficiency by 22%.

'Rectified' implies taking corrective action, reinforcing the candidate's role as a change-maker. The 'after' statement quantifies the impact in clear terms.

Replacing Negotiate with Amended ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated policy changes.

⤸

After: Amended• Amended policy changes that resulted in reducing staff turnover by 15% and improving employee morale.

The verb 'Amended' suggests a proactive role in policy enhancement. Mentioning specific metrics in the 'after' statement illustrates the candidate's performance impact.

Replacing Negotiate with Mitigated ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated issues with clients.

⤸

After: Mitigated• Mitigated issues with key clients, reducing the churn rate by 18% and increased client retention by 25%.

'Mitigated' clarifies the candidate's role in conflict resolution. The 'after' statement quantifies the result, providing tangible evidence of the candidate's abilities.

Replacing Negotiate with Formulated ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated pricing strategies.

⤸

After: Formulated• Formulated pricing strategies that boosted the product market share by 8%, increasing company revenue by $1.2M in a year.

In this context, 'Formulated' suggests a strategic approach. Listing concrete impacts allows hiring managers to appreciate the scale and significance of the candidate's achievements.

Replacing Negotiate with Pacified ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated with dissatisfied clients.

⤸

After: Pacified• Pacified dissatisfied clients, recouping a potential loss of $500K and increasing client renewals by 10%.

'Pacified' presents the candidate as a problem solver. The 'after' statement quantifies the impact, showcasing the candidate's customer relationship management skills.

Replacing Negotiate with Forged ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated partnerships and alliances.

⤸

After: Forged• Forged strategic partnerships and alliances resulting in expanding the company’s market to 10 new territories in two years.

The term 'Forged' communicates a proactive and decisive role. The added specification in the 'after' statement paints a vivid picture of the candidate's accomplishments.

Replacing Negotiate with Improvised ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated deals with stakeholders.

⤸

After: Improvised• Improvised deal terms with stakeholders, adding 5 high-value clients to the company's portfolio in a single quarter.

'Improvised' emphasizes adaptability and strategic thinking. Incorporating specific metrics in the 'after' statement allows hiring managers to grasp the candidate's success at business development.

Replacing Negotiate with Conciliated ▾

Before: Negotiate

• Negotiated client complaints.

⤸

After: Conciliated• Conciliated client complaints efficiently, driving a 15% increase in client satisfaction and revitalizing the company's reputation.

'Conciliated' accentuates the applicant's capacity to handle issues effectively. The revised bullet point emphasizes the specific positive impact on client satisfaction and company reputation.

How to use these synonyms in practice

We've put together an infographic to give you more examples of how to put this into practice. Note the use of strong action verbs instead of words like Negotiate.

More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms

How to use Managed on a resume:

• Managed a cross-functional team of 10 in 3 locations (London, Mumbai and New York), ranging from entry-level to Ph.D. analysts, and closely collaborated with business development, data analysis, operations and marketing teams.

How to use Enabled on a resume:

• Enabled integration with existing systems by creating tool that extracts metadata from images and provides metadata to a system-wide search database..

How to use Coordinated on a resume:

• Coordinated a team of four developers and two designers to implement and launch online marketplace that connects students with tutors, within 6 months.

How to use Promoted on a resume:

• Promoted to Associate Consultant in 2 years (1 year in advance); the only member in a cohort of 45 Analysts to be fast-tracked.

How to use Analyzed on a resume:

• Analyzed company's 24-month sales results to develop five-year monthly projections by revenue and customer type.

How to use Conducted on a resume:

• Conducted private equity due diligence in $400M portfolio. Performed strategic and analytical valuation of assets based on interviews with experts and created extensive models of the industries; persuaded client to move forward with acquisition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Negotiate on a resume?

Instead of passive phrases like Negotiate, use other words like Bargained, Lobbied, Networked, Liaised, Contracted or Settled. Using these verbs will help your accomplishments and bullet points stand out on your resume.

What is a better word for Negotiate on a resume?

Synonyms you can use instead of the overused phrase Negotiate include:

Influenced
Contracted
Spoke
Consulted
Proposed
Adjusted

Get a free resume review: Find out if your action verbs are strong enough.

As a next step, I'd recommend going through each of your resume's verbs and improving each one with stronger action verbs. The most effective way to do that is by uploading your resume to tool below. It'll tell you which parts of your resume need work, so you can improve them before a recruiter rejects you for them.

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Q: What is another word for Negotiate on a resume?

Instead of passive phrases like Negotiate , use other words like Bargained, Lobbied, Networked, Liaised, Contracted or Settled. Using these verbs will help your accomplishments and bullet points stand out on your resume.

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