Collection
Prepare the walk-away, then negotiate the whole package
Turn negotiation from improvised concession-making into a prepared comparison of alternatives, interests, tradeoffs, criteria and conditional deal structures.
12 elements · Explore in any order.
2 checklists · 1 heuristic · 1 pattern · 3 principles · 4 protocols · 1 question
12 elements
Write the alternative before you negotiate
You negotiate differently when 'no deal' has an actual next step.
Read the idea HeuristicImprove the alternative before bargaining harder
Sometimes the strongest negotiation move happens away from the table.
Read the idea ProtocolSet the walk-away point before the room gets persuasive
The hardest time to invent your limit is five concessions after you crossed it.
Read the idea PrincipleSet an ambition point separately from the walk-away
A floor keeps you from falling. It does not tell you where to aim.
Read the idea ChecklistRank the issues before you start conceding
A concession has no price until you know what the issue is worth to you.
Read the idea QuestionAsk what the position is trying to protect
'We need Friday' is a position. The useful question is what Friday makes possible.
Read the idea PrincipleKeep several issues alive long enough to trade
Closing the easy term early can spend the currency you needed for the hard term later.
Read the idea ProtocolTrade on differences instead of splitting every issue
A fair-looking middle can be worse for both sides than an uneven trade they actually prefer.
Read the idea ProtocolOffer several packages you value similarly
One offer asks 'yes or no.' Three coherent packages can ask 'which direction matters more?'
Read the idea ChecklistBring a criterion, not only a preference
'Because I want it' is a weak benchmark even when both sides say it confidently.
Read the idea PatternTurn a forecast disagreement into an if–then term
You do not always need to agree on the forecast if the contract can survive both forecasts.
Read the idea PrincipleKeep partial terms provisional until the package works
A small 'yes' can become expensive if everyone forgets it was part of a larger package.
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