There is no shortage of expert opinion on how to negotiate, as a quick scan of any bookstore’s shelves will reveal. Some of that advice is valuable, but much of it is simply not practical. Too often, what negotiation gurus are really saying is that you have to be a particular kind of person: thick-skinned and supremely confident, afraid of nothing, and with a big-picture mindset. The best bargainers, they say, focus on the issue itself and aren’t distracted by the back-and-forth or the personalities at play.
All that is well and good. But if you are not fully that kind of person or don’t have the time it takes to become that kind of person — one negotiation expert says it requires about 800 hours of practice — then these pages are for you. The tips that follow will show you what you need to know before the bargaining begins, as well as strategies for getting the best deal at the table.
Click to Add the First »