What information should a buyer gather about a supplier before entering a negotiation?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Knowledgeable negotiators strive to understand their counterparts through research and experience. This means understanding what is important to the other party along with understanding the personality, negotiation style, and history or the negotiators opposite number. Analyzing the other party requires a thorough assessment of the relative strengths and weakness of the parties, as well as the particulars for each individual issue to be negotiated. The issues that are most critical to a supplier are not likely to be those most critical to a buyer.