­If you ask what time it is, the storyteller will tell you how to build a clock. They share such an overabundance of information that it's hard to understand what the point is.

Helpful because: Storytellers will disclose all the details so the other side can fully understand what it is they desire and why. This approach leaves little room for the other side to doubt, can foster a sense of trust, and may result in conversation that opens negotiations further to great benefit.

Hindrance because: Many don't have the time, patience, or inclination to hear all the ancillary details. The other party may tune the storyteller out, and perhaps get impatient and frustrated‹ with the information overload.

Bullies intimidate the other party to get their way in a negotiation. It could be by yelling or body posture, threats or harassment, menacing words, or other fear-based tactics they deem necessary to back the other side into a corner and take the power position.

Helpful because: Those who exert power and dominance up front may cause the other side to change their position without ever attempting to assert it.

Hindrance because: The other side may regard the bully as out of control and generally unpleasant to deal with. They may not want to do business with that person again, and could spread less-than complimentary words about that person to others.

Direct communicators get to the point right away—they just want to discuss the facts and not hear any of the back story. They ask for what they want in a clear, concise, and powerful way.

Helpful because: You won't waste time with details that could delay, and possibly derail, the deal.

Hindrance because: The other side might find this type's hard-hitting style offensive, and you risk missing a critical piece of information that might otherwise have been revealed had you spent more time in discussion with the other party.

The Hinter ­ is the opposite of the Direct Communicator. Hinters don't ask for anything directly; they hint around at what they want. They may do it out of fear of being rejected, or to manipulate the other party to do what they want without having to make their wants explicit.

Helpful because: Hinters can test the waters without having to commit to what they want. By leaving wishes open to interpretation, they may glean more information—‹and results—‹than they would have otherwise.

Hindrance because: Hinters can appear to be manipulative, and the ambiguity can make the process of coming to terms much longer, more frustrating, and arduous.

There's no reasoning with someone whose behavior is irrational, overly emotional, or just plain nutty. This personality type can be construed as anxious, stressed, frustrated, angry, or downright weird.

Helpful because: Deflection by rant is indeed a negotiation strategy. If you go on a rant or are clearly upset about an injustice or something that is justifiably not fair and reasonable, the other side may be more apt to re-evaluate your position and give you a better deal.

Hindrance because: You can't negotiate with crazy. You may lose the deal all together if the other side thinks you are unstable or unreasonable to do business with.

Victims ­ attempts to parlay their hard luck to gain sympathy so the other party will go easy on them.

Helpful because: Someone may indeed feel sorry for their situation and give them a break. We all have things happen in our lives and careers and, if you use this as an honest way to get a better deal, both sides can often feel good about the outcome.

Hindrance because: Oftentimes people use this to manipulate their way out of a situation. The other side may see this for what it is and call you out on it, which can be embarrassing and undermine your credibility. Not only will you not get a better deal, the other party may actually negotiate harder than they would have otherwise in response to your attempt to manipulate them.

Non-negotiators ­ don't negotiate at all—they will agree to whatever the other party wants even if it means losing out significantly. They just want the situation to go away as quickly as possible.

Helpful because: The only reason this might be helpful is if the other side interprets this as a shutdown strategy and they either take pity on you or don't want to take advantage of you. They may offer a better deal because of it, but clearly this is not an expected or common outcome.

Hindrance because: Aside from being perceived as weak from an image standpoint, you will also most likely get a bad deal or be taken advantage of. Most discussions start out with each side offering something to negotiate up or down from and go from there. If you take the first offer that's presented when the other party started high fully expecting to negotiate, as most do, you may end up in a bad deal.

These archetypes are what you want to strive for in your negotiations. Characteristics include negotiating with integrity, ethics, and consideration for what is and is not fair and reasonable for both sides. These types use some or all of the other types' characteristics, but they know which ones to use and when to use them ethically and honorably in order to achieve their objectives.

Helpful because: These types understand how people negotiate and where they are coming from so they can  present their side using a calculated approach that they can throttle up or down as needed.

Hindrance because: These types may spend more time analyzing how a person is negotiating than paying attention to the details of the negotiation itself. They can get stuck scrutinizing on a macro level instead of negotiating the all-important micro matters.

Veteran negotiation and contracts expert Eldonna Lewis-Fernandez, author of Think Like a Negotiator, is currently the CEO of Dynamic Vision International‹, a consulting and training firm. She also speaks on the art of negotiation. Learn more at www.ThinkLikeANegotiator.com.