While he used ceremony and protocol to good effect, he also appears to have been a shrewd negotiator who bargained adroitly to secure his advantage through diplomacy.

In command, he proved a skilled tactician with a clear appreciation of intelligence and its uses, a shrewd negotiator and an able administrator.

From the start, he was a shrewd negotiator who — despite his goofy reputation — was rarely bested by parsimonious owners when it came to his contract.

We need a skilled negotiator and deal-maker, not an instruction for more optimism.

Two strong communication influences reach across your chart and make you a skilled negotiator.

He developed a reputation as a calm and skilled negotiator, and generally tried to remain above the partisan bantering that frequently dominates legislative sittings.

He became known as a skilled negotiator.

Farmers do not employ skilled negotiators when dealing with the buyers of their food.

With a quick legal mind and ability as a tough negotiator, he became a specialist in mergers and acquisitions.

She was known as a tough negotiator who could turn on adversaries tempted to belittle her.

It's possible - if you have access to cash, but be a tough negotiator.

He was regarded as a tough negotiator but affable and charming in personal relations.

She must be a fantastically tough negotiator.

Any trade negotiator setting out an opening position may well engage in a little obfuscation over precise aims in tricky areas.

The government will also build a 300-strong team of trade negotiators by the end of the year.

We no longer have experienced trade negotiators for this task.

In the outside world, politicians and trade negotiators might complain.

We should use experienced trade negotiators in the key areas, not civil servants who are learning on the job.

So he was a newbie union negotiator.

And last month government and union negotiators agreed to a fresh round of public sector wage reductions.

Those taking part played managers and union negotiators preparing for talks to avert a costly strike.

In 2002, for example, a five-year labor contract was signed that left union negotiators quite pleased.

Union negotiators concluded a new tentative agreement with millions of dollars in improvements, but which was voted down by a narrow margin.