Collection
Negotiate more than the number
Prepare credible alternatives, discover useful trades and turn promising conversations into explicit, authorized agreements.
10 elements · Explore in any order.
2 checklists · 1 pattern · 3 protocols · 1 question · 3 templates
10 elements
Compare the offer with an alternative you can actually take
Your fallback needs a next step, not just an impressive name.
Read the idea ProtocolOffer several packages you would genuinely accept
A choice between two real solutions teaches more than another yes-or-no demand.
Read the idea QuestionTrade across different priorities instead of halving every difference
Equal sacrifice is not the only route to a fair agreement.
Read the idea TemplateTurn a disputed forecast into an observable condition
You may not need the same forecast. You need terms that survive both forecasts.
Read the idea ProtocolUse a quiet pause to inspect the offer, not to punish the speaker
You are allowed to think before filling the silence.
Read the idea ProtocolExplore a better deal without silently withdrawing the agreed one
A second look is safer when it is not a surprise reopening.
Read the idea PatternName the exchange before making a conditional concession
A concession should not depend on the other person guessing the missing half.
Read the idea ChecklistLabel the proposal's status before someone relies on it
That could work and we have approved it are different messages.
Read the idea TemplateAgree how the negotiation will run before arguing the terms
An argument about the deal may actually be an argument about the process.
Read the idea ChecklistAgree what counts as a fair comparison before choosing the benchmark
Independent data can still be selected very dependently on what you want.
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