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Secrets of Power Negotiating: Inside Secrets from a Master Negotiator
Secrets of Power Negotiating covers every aspect of the negotiating process with practical, proven from beginning steps to critical final moves, how to recognize unethical tactics, key principles to the Power Negotiating strategy, why money is not as important as everyone thinks, negotiating pressure points, understanding the other party and gaining the upper hand, and analyses of different negotiating styles. And Power Negotiating can be applied to any
- Business owners will learn how to dramatically improve profits.
- Managers will learn how to become dynamic leaders.
- Parents will discover how to shape their child's future.
- Salespeople will learn how to build-and protect-their bottom line.
- All readers will find how to develop power and control over their ability to get what they want-in all areas of their lives.
- Business owners will learn how to dramatically improve profits.
- Managers will learn how to become dynamic leaders.
- Parents will discover how to shape their child's future.
- Salespeople will learn how to build-and protect-their bottom line.
- All readers will find how to develop power and control over their ability to get what they want-in all areas of their lives.
319 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
Roger Dawson
93 books58 followersRoger Dawson is one of the country’s top experts on the art of negotiating—SUCCESS Magazine calls him “America’s Premier Business Negotiator.” As a full-time speaker since 1982, Roger has travelled the world to teach business leaders how to improve their profits using his Power Negotiating techniques. He resides in La Habra Heights, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
September 5, 2007
Do yourself a favor. Next time instead of a lunch break, go to the bookstore and find this book. Simply go through each chapter and at the end of most chapters, there are a list of bullet points that summarize the chapter's ideas.
There are 50 some chapters, but not every chapter has a bullet point list and not ever chapter is applicable (e.g., negotiation methods of Americans). I can't imagine this taking more than 45 minutes to finish.
but... if you have the real time and desire to read this book, READ IT!
Dawson beautifully breaks down the psychology of negotiation, from gambits to their counters (and sometimes counter-counters). Each chapter is clearly written, with a simple structure where the first line of each paragraph is usually the topic sentence. Most chapters end with bullet points. Points are related, so the information gets massaged into your brain repeatedly and in a linked manner.
I recommend this book as much as '4-hour work week.' Yes, it's that good.
There are 50 some chapters, but not every chapter has a bullet point list and not ever chapter is applicable (e.g., negotiation methods of Americans). I can't imagine this taking more than 45 minutes to finish.
but... if you have the real time and desire to read this book, READ IT!
Dawson beautifully breaks down the psychology of negotiation, from gambits to their counters (and sometimes counter-counters). Each chapter is clearly written, with a simple structure where the first line of each paragraph is usually the topic sentence. Most chapters end with bullet points. Points are related, so the information gets massaged into your brain repeatedly and in a linked manner.
I recommend this book as much as '4-hour work week.' Yes, it's that good.
September 13, 2009
Good book on transactional negotiating.
Quotes:
"So Power Negotiators are careful that they don't fall into the trap of saying yes too quickly, which automatically triggers in the other person's mind the following: I could have done better, and next time I will. A sophisticated person won't tell you that he felt that he lost in the negotiation, but he will tuck it away in the back of his mind, thinking "the next time I deal with this person I'll e tougher negotiator. I won't leave money on the table next time.""
"Never say yes to the first offer or counter offer from the other side. It automatically triggers two thoughts: I could have don better (next time I will), and something must be wrong."
"The big danger is when you have formed a mental picture of how the other person will respond to your proposal and he or she comes back much higher than you expected. Prepare for this possibility so it won't catch you off guard."
"Flinch in response to a proposal from the other side. They may not expect to get what they are asking for; however, if you do not show surprise you're communicating that it is a possibility."
"Respond to a proposal or counter-proposal with the Vise Technique: "You'll have to do better than that." If it is used on you, respond with the Counter Gambit, "Exactly how much better than that do I have to do?" This will pin the other person down to a specific."
"Concentrate on the dollar amount that's being negotiated. Don't be distracted by the gross amount of the sale and start thinking in percentages. A negotiated dollar is a bottom line dollar. Be aware of what your time is worth on an hourly basis."
"Indifference is your problem, not objections, because there is always a reason for objections and people just may change their minds."
"Don't let the other side know you have the authority to make a decision. Your higher authority should be a vague entity and not an individual. Even if you own your company, you can still use this by referring down through your organization."
"Attempt to get the other person to admit that he could approve your proposal if it meets all of his needs. If that fails, go through the three Counter Gambits: Appeal to his ego, get his commitment that he'll recommend to his higher authority, go to a qualified 'subject-to' close."
"Any time you make a concession to the other side in a negotiation you should ask for a reciprocal concession right away. The favor you did the other side loses value very quickly."
"Negotiate your fee before you do the work."
"Never offer to split the difference yourself, instead encourage the other person to offer to split the difference. By getting the other side to offer to split the difference, you put them in a position of suggesting the compromise. Then you can reluctantly agree to their proposal, making them feel that they won."
"By resolving the little issues first, you create momentum that will make the big issues much easier to resolve. Inexperienced negotiators always seem to think that you need to resolve the big issues first. "If we can't get together on the major things like price and terms why waste much time talking about the little issues?" Power Negotiators understand the other side will become more flexible after you've reached agreement on the small issues."
"Don't confuse an impasse with a deadlock. True deadlocks are very rare, so you've probably reached only an impasse."
"Handle an impasse with the Set-Aside Gambit: "Let's just set that aside for a moment and talk about some of the other issues, may we?""
"Create momentum by resolving minor issues first, but don't narrow the negotiation down to only one issue."
"The way that you make concessions can create a pattern of expectations in the other person's mind."
"Don't make equal-size concessions, because the other side will keep on pushing."
"Don't make your last concession a big one, because it creates hostility."
"Never concede your entire negotiating range just because the other person calls for your "last and final" proposal or claims that he or she "doesn't like to negotiate.""
"Taper the concessions to communicate that the other side is getting the best possible deal."
"Why are people reluctant to gather information? Because to find things out, you have to admit that you don't know, and most of us are extraordinarily reluctant to admit that we don't know."
"The courage to prove for more information, the patience to outlast the other negotiator, the courage to ask for more than you expect to get, and the integrity to press for win-win solutions, the willingness to be a good listener."
"The willingness to live with ambiguity...a competitive spirit...no strong need to be liked."
"The longer you project that you have a consistent set of standards from which you'll never deviate, the more people learn to trust you. From that trust grows a tremendous ability to influence people in a negotiation."
Quotes:
"So Power Negotiators are careful that they don't fall into the trap of saying yes too quickly, which automatically triggers in the other person's mind the following: I could have done better, and next time I will. A sophisticated person won't tell you that he felt that he lost in the negotiation, but he will tuck it away in the back of his mind, thinking "the next time I deal with this person I'll e tougher negotiator. I won't leave money on the table next time.""
"Never say yes to the first offer or counter offer from the other side. It automatically triggers two thoughts: I could have don better (next time I will), and something must be wrong."
"The big danger is when you have formed a mental picture of how the other person will respond to your proposal and he or she comes back much higher than you expected. Prepare for this possibility so it won't catch you off guard."
"Flinch in response to a proposal from the other side. They may not expect to get what they are asking for; however, if you do not show surprise you're communicating that it is a possibility."
"Respond to a proposal or counter-proposal with the Vise Technique: "You'll have to do better than that." If it is used on you, respond with the Counter Gambit, "Exactly how much better than that do I have to do?" This will pin the other person down to a specific."
"Concentrate on the dollar amount that's being negotiated. Don't be distracted by the gross amount of the sale and start thinking in percentages. A negotiated dollar is a bottom line dollar. Be aware of what your time is worth on an hourly basis."
"Indifference is your problem, not objections, because there is always a reason for objections and people just may change their minds."
"Don't let the other side know you have the authority to make a decision. Your higher authority should be a vague entity and not an individual. Even if you own your company, you can still use this by referring down through your organization."
"Attempt to get the other person to admit that he could approve your proposal if it meets all of his needs. If that fails, go through the three Counter Gambits: Appeal to his ego, get his commitment that he'll recommend to his higher authority, go to a qualified 'subject-to' close."
"Any time you make a concession to the other side in a negotiation you should ask for a reciprocal concession right away. The favor you did the other side loses value very quickly."
"Negotiate your fee before you do the work."
"Never offer to split the difference yourself, instead encourage the other person to offer to split the difference. By getting the other side to offer to split the difference, you put them in a position of suggesting the compromise. Then you can reluctantly agree to their proposal, making them feel that they won."
"By resolving the little issues first, you create momentum that will make the big issues much easier to resolve. Inexperienced negotiators always seem to think that you need to resolve the big issues first. "If we can't get together on the major things like price and terms why waste much time talking about the little issues?" Power Negotiators understand the other side will become more flexible after you've reached agreement on the small issues."
"Don't confuse an impasse with a deadlock. True deadlocks are very rare, so you've probably reached only an impasse."
"Handle an impasse with the Set-Aside Gambit: "Let's just set that aside for a moment and talk about some of the other issues, may we?""
"Create momentum by resolving minor issues first, but don't narrow the negotiation down to only one issue."
"The way that you make concessions can create a pattern of expectations in the other person's mind."
"Don't make equal-size concessions, because the other side will keep on pushing."
"Don't make your last concession a big one, because it creates hostility."
"Never concede your entire negotiating range just because the other person calls for your "last and final" proposal or claims that he or she "doesn't like to negotiate.""
"Taper the concessions to communicate that the other side is getting the best possible deal."
"Why are people reluctant to gather information? Because to find things out, you have to admit that you don't know, and most of us are extraordinarily reluctant to admit that we don't know."
"The courage to prove for more information, the patience to outlast the other negotiator, the courage to ask for more than you expect to get, and the integrity to press for win-win solutions, the willingness to be a good listener."
"The willingness to live with ambiguity...a competitive spirit...no strong need to be liked."
"The longer you project that you have a consistent set of standards from which you'll never deviate, the more people learn to trust you. From that trust grows a tremendous ability to influence people in a negotiation."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2009
At first read, a classic this is not. "Secrets" is a stretch. More like: "Anecdotes that worked once or twice for me, so the approach might work for you. (Just buy my book.)"
This book definitely does not instantly create a power negotiator. The author's approach and recommendations seem ineffective and, sometimes, crass.
That said, I'm willing to give them a shot. I will let you know if they work. Anyone want to buy a 2004 Honda Civic?
This book definitely does not instantly create a power negotiator. The author's approach and recommendations seem ineffective and, sometimes, crass.
That said, I'm willing to give them a shot. I will let you know if they work. Anyone want to buy a 2004 Honda Civic?
October 28, 2008
As I neared the end of the book, I got increasing frustrated with Dawson and his views of power retention and power loss. Plus he misunderstood Maslow's third step to happiness/fulfillment. It's not the need to be liked as he proposed, but the need to be social, to have people around you. Thus, he is wrong when he says Power Negotiators skip over that step since they don't need to be liked. If anything, they require that step more than anyone else because without people, who would they negotiate with?
I agree with my professor in that Dawson's "ethically challenged." The things he says are fine tactics are not all good tactics and some of what he views as unethical seem not so bad to me.
I agree with my professor in that Dawson's "ethically challenged." The things he says are fine tactics are not all good tactics and some of what he views as unethical seem not so bad to me.
January 22, 2008
Read this book and you'll probably end up with a very different view of negotiation. Some things, like the "silent close" are quite difficult to actually implement -- but are crazy powerful.
I was amazed at how difficult it is to actually ask for what you want. Social norms make it hard to ask for money, but practice makes it easier.
If you want easy cash try this trick I discovered. When you're getting work done on your car, ask for a "customer loyalty discount". Worked every time! Magic free money in exchange for a tiny bit of bravery. That's what this book is all about.
I was amazed at how difficult it is to actually ask for what you want. Social norms make it hard to ask for money, but practice makes it easier.
If you want easy cash try this trick I discovered. When you're getting work done on your car, ask for a "customer loyalty discount". Worked every time! Magic free money in exchange for a tiny bit of bravery. That's what this book is all about.
November 25, 2021
5 stars because there isn’t a 6-star option.
I will have to quote Lex Luthor for this one.
“Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story. Others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.”
This book can be applied in many conflicts and not only in business.
Favourite word: Assiduous /əˈsijo͞oəs/. adjective
showing great care and perseverance.
I will have to quote Lex Luthor for this one.
“Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story. Others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.”
This book can be applied in many conflicts and not only in business.
Favourite word: Assiduous /əˈsijo͞oəs/. adjective
showing great care and perseverance.
March 1, 2016
This book is mainly about the "tactics" of negotiation, "gambits" as Roger calls them. Some of them are useful too. But if were to pick a single book on negotiation, I'd go for "Negotiation Genius" by Malhotra, which has a much bigger scope of coverage.
My rating for this book: 7/10
My rating for this book: 7/10
September 30, 2011
among the 3 best books on negotation
February 24, 2015
Although decidedly geared toward its obvious target audience of professional negotiators, the book offers a wealth of valuable information for anyone. Every chapter offers at least one point of value, although the early chapters do feel like they’re belaboring their points some. But then the book veers away from traditional negotiating wisdom into the fascinating realm of criminal negotiators and even (my favorite bit) the differing mindsets and mores of various nationalities. It ends with an equally interesting section on the various specific aspects of personal power. I won’t say it changed my life, but I do feel better educated for having read it.
June 1, 2014
Despite the dubious name, this is a real gem. Can't recommend it enough.
December 6, 2017
Good content, but the pretentious style might prove very challenging to swallow for non-americans. Be prepared to roll your eyes often.
September 4, 2020
223-Secrets of Power Negotiating-Roger Dawson-Business-1999
Barack
2019/06/03
2020/06/22
- negotiation is one of the fastest way to make money.
"Secrets of power negotiating" was first published in the United States in 1999. It explores rich and classic negotiator notes, as well as real and influential case analysis.
Roger • Dawson ( Roger Dawson), was born in England in 1940. He is one of only 28 professionals in the world who have won the CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) honors issued by the National Speakers Association (NAP) and the CPAE (Council of Peers Award of Excellence) title. Representative works: "Advantage Negotiation", "Absolute Deal", etc.
table of Contents
1. Sales in the new century
2. Win-win sales negotiation
3. There is a set of rules for negotiation
4. The asking price is higher than the net price
5. Split
6. Never accept the first bid
7. Pretending to be surprised
8. The reluctant seller
9. Concentrate on the problem
10. Vise strategy
Before negotiating, we must first correct our mentality and regard the negotiation behavior as some kind of competitive behavior similar to sports activities, without personal emotions. Negotiations with emotions, it is easy to lose their due interest or directly terminate the transaction.
Negotiations have costs, usually time costs. Before the negotiation begins, you must calculate the time costs and expected benefits you have paid. Presumption that the cost of their own time per hour is 10 0RMB, and the expected return to negotiations 1000RMB, so long as the desired negotiation time is less than 1 0 or so hours, then this negotiation is that you can do.
I myself am a person who doesn't like to negotiate, so I try to buy only clearly marked products, because this can avoid bargaining. I myself would rather leave the items unused than sell, because this can avoid bargaining. However, I now think that it is a behavior that does more harm than good. This mode of thinking has made me miss many opportunities to sharpen my negotiation skills in the past.
In a recent transaction, as the dominant seller, the products I published attracted 4 buyers in just 24 hours. Not only did I sell my products at a cost price, but I was also complained by the buyer. The other party still felt that Lose yourself. After careful analysis, I think I can increase the price by 600~1000RMB. But beforehand I hold anyway not going to make money , as long as you can return to this state of mind, did not carefully and rigorously treat it as a business negotiation.
Students may encounter fewer business negotiations during school, but after entering the job, I expect that there will be more and more occasions for business negotiations. If you just blindly evade negotiations or negotiate with an indifferent attitude, in the long run Is harmful.
Dawson introduced many negotiation techniques in this book. A good player at the negotiating table should be a good actor to a certain extent. All performances should be to maximize their own interests under the premise of complying with laws and regulations. They should conceal their urgency to buy and sell, and pretend to be surprised. , Angry, and even walk away. All these external manifestations may have nothing to do with the true inner feelings, or even run counter to them.
Traditional Chinese culture is relatively resistant to this behavior. To a certain extent, it tries to impose the moral integrity of the "gentleman's magnanimity" in the world, and also accepts the result of "gentleman can deceive". Relegated business skills to "traitors".
If you want to fight for yourself or yourself as much as possible in the negotiation process, you have to abandon too many emotional factors or moral judgments. As long as it is not prohibited by laws and regulations, you can do it.
" In the 21st century, only the best and smartest salespersons can have a future. I think that the sales industry will have great changes in the new century. Here are some of the changes I have observed. "
" Trend 1: Buyers become smart negotiation opponents . Every salesperson and sales manager I met in the seminar told me the same thing: Compared with 20 years ago, buyers have become more Smart negotiating opponents, this trend is still increasing. I don’t want to make it too clear, but what I expected has already happened. I think your buyer already understands: how fast it is to keep spending to a minimum The way to save is to take money directly from you. "
With the disclosure and popularization of information. Even ordinary people can easily know about a certain issue . This knowledge may only be known to those professionals. This allows them to not use these tips with a relevant experience of ordinary people seem to cope when dealing reap advantages. But ordinary people also understand that the business is and psychology on the tips of the time, the sales staff is bound to send now , they are facing increasingly tough opponents. Therefore, it becomes more difficult to stand out.
" Trend 2: Buyers are more informed than before . Buyers need sales staff because they bring them valuable information. In the past, buyers were the first to get new information from salesmen who came to the door. Information about products and new trends. This information is very authoritative, and salesmen can take advantage of this advantage. Today, this advantage no longer exists. Buyers can design computer programs to obtain various information about the items they are interested in. . "
" Trend 3: The role of salespersons is reversed . In the past, the role of salespersons was clearly defined-selling products to users or wholesalers. Now more and more salespersons find that their roles are being reversed. They are not so much sellers. It’s not as good as the buyer, which is very common in the wholesale industry. But I believe it will also spread to other industrial fields. Large food companies, such as Proctor and Gable, and Popular Foods hire for this reason Me. They want me to train their sales staff on how to negotiate advertising cooperation projects with retailers. "
" The purpose of the negotiation is to achieve a win-win outcome. The creative ending is when you and the buyer leave the negotiation table, both of you feel that you have won. You may have heard the following story, which can illustrate the two of you Situation: Both people want an orange, but only one orange is the headache for them. So they discussed for a while and decided that the best way is to separate from the middle, each with half. To ensure fairness, they decided to have one person. Cut, one person. But when talking about their respective uses, they found that one needs to be juiced and the other needs orange peel to make a cake. They miraculously discovered that they can all win, no one loses. "
The root of many contradictions and conflicts in this world is that people are different. But from another perspective. It is precisely because people are different that negotiation is possible. If everyone's preferences are the same, then negotiation is almost impossible. It is precisely because both sides have a different degree of attention to the same thing , that makes happy to get a result is possible through negotiations.
"The expert makes the buyer feel that he has made a profit. The poor negotiator makes the buyer feel that he has lost. The expert negotiator makes the buyer feel that he has won, and the poor negotiator makes the buyer feel that he has lost . "
If we can better meet the needs of others, then people will be willing to serve us. In this way, our own needs can still be met. If you want to stand up, you will stand up, and if you want to achieve, you will become a person. Without a broad mind, one cannot be a good leader.
" First of all, you have to start learning strategies used in the early stages of your contact with the buyer to ensure a good foundation for a successful outcome. This is crucial, because as, in the negotiation process you will find that every step forward They all depend on the atmosphere created at the beginning. Your requirements and your attitude must be part of your careful planning. It contains all the factors of negotiation. It is based on careful evaluation of buyers, markets, and buyers’ companies. The opening strategy based on the foundation determines whether you will win or lose in the end.
Then I will teach you the mid-term strategy, and the negotiation will continue to develop according to your intentions. At this stage, the situation has become more complicated, and the two sides are struggling to deal with each other and each have their own attempts. You will learn how to deal with these pressures and control the situation. Finally, I will teach you the late-stage strategy, get what you want, and then make a deal, while letting the other party think that he also won. The last moment may turn things upside down. Like a horse race, it is about to reach the end, and the two sides are on par. Negotiators know how to orderly control the process to the end. "
Negotiation is a process that requires careful planning and conscious execution. If before we are negotiating , heart no idea. The only other side of the reaction spot to play, random strain. Then there is a danger of being led by the nose.
"The first rule is: the price you offer to the buyer must be higher than the price you actually want. Henry Kissinger once said: "The result at the negotiation table depends on how much your request is exaggerated. "Isn't it interesting? One of the greatest international negotiations in the world. Everyone said publicly that if you want to negotiate with him, you should know that he wants more things than he wants from you. "My buyer is not fool. I want more, they will see it right away. "When you think like this, you have to remember the above principles in particular. Because even if your idea is right, this strategy is still a brilliant negotiation strategy. "
I myself have conducted a few second-hand transactions as a seller . I often mark the price directly based on my bottom line price and do not provide room for counter-offer . In fact, this strategy has big problems. Because people always make habitual counter-offers for non-standard products. And I is because the asking price is already my bottom line price. I don't want to make any more concessions , which makes the transaction deadlocked and ended.
"The first obvious reason is: it leaves you a certain amount of room for negotiation. You can always lower the price, but you can never raise the price. (We will tell you how to increase it a little bit in the later negotiation strategy. Some things are at the end than at the beginning. Easier to get). What you should ask is your maximum credible price, because this is the highest price you want, but you must let the buyer see the possibility of bargaining. The less you know about the other party , Your asking price should be higher. There are two reasons. First, your judgment may be wrong. If you don’t know much about the other party and his needs, he may be willing to offer a higher price than you think. "
"The second reason is that if you have just established contact, if you make greater concessions, it can show that you have greater sincerity in cooperation. The more you understand the buyers and their needs, the more you should reconsider your own Position. On the contrary, if the other party does not understand you, their initial request may also make you unacceptable. "
" The third reason why the asking price is higher than the net price is: the high price will increase the external value of your product or service. When you show the buyer your printed price list, the information you pass to him is these details. Potential value. Obviously, the impact on inexperienced buyers is greater than the impact on experienced veterans, but the impact will always be there. "
"The fourth reason is: to avoid a deadlock caused by the negotiating opponent's arrogance. Look at the Gulf War (do you remember the Gulf War? It was broadcast on the cable news network?). In 1991, we asked Saddam Hussein. What do you do? President George Bush used a series of beautiful alliterations to describe the beginning of our negotiations in his national speech. He said: "I am not bragging, I am not intimidating, I am not bullying. He must do three things. Kuwait must be withdrawn, Kuwait’s legal rule must be restored (don’t do what the Soviets did in Afghanistan, foster a puppet regime), and must repay the losses he caused. "This is a clear and unequivocal negotiating position. The problem is that this is also our bottom line and our minimum requirement. There is no doubt that the situation is deadlocked. Because we have not reserved Saddam Hussein's self-esteem. Space. "
" The fifth reason is the higher asking price, clever negotiating partners should understand: this is so that buyers feel the only way to win if you suddenly gave buyers the best price, then there would be no buyers. I’m going to talk to you and I won’t feel like I’ve won. Inexperienced negotiators always want to give the best price from the beginning. ”
" Let us recap the above rules: 1. You can leave a certain amount of room for negotiation. You can always lower the price, but you cannot raise it. 2. You may get this price by chance. 3. This will improve your product or service the external value. 4. avoid negotiations impasse caused due to the self-esteem 5. each other to create a winning atmosphere. "
"It requires more than you actually want. This seems to be a very simple truth, but it is a principle that you can use effectively in negotiations. In thousands of experiments and thousands of facts, this is Something that has been proven repeatedly. The more you ask, the more you get. "
I was being taught the idea of self-reliance and self-reliance since I was young . People must rely on themselves for everything and do not seek help from others. In fact , from my current point of view, this view is wrong. Why not seek help from others? In fact, the stronger our request for help, the more likely we are to get help. Life is not a closed system. It must be in and out to develop and grow.
" Countermeasure: When the buyer asks you more than it actually is, you should see through this strategy, arouse his sense of fairness, and use the strategy of asking superiors or blackface/whiteface (I will teach you these two strategies later) ). You should say: "Of course, you can make any request at the beginning of the negotiation, and I will give you the same unacceptable opinion, but none of us will benefit. Why don't you tell me the highest price you can accept? I went back to discuss with our people and see what to do. Is this fair? " "
"The second question is: If you want more than you actually want, how much more. The answer is that you have to divide your goals.
January 30, 2022
A great listen for learning negotiating skills. I recommend the audio version as it's narrated by the author and he has a charming delivery. From his voice alone there's no doubt in my mind he's a master negotiator, and this is something to emulate.
He narrates the book as if he has a confident smile on his face throughout the entire time and that's presumably exactly how he negotiates. Relaxed, casual, confident, and has a smile on his face.
There's a bunch of practical tips on negotiating here. One that stood out in particular for me was that you should never accept the first offer, even if it's beyond your expectations. If you do that, the other part feels cheated: "Damn, I could have gotten a better deal," and they will resent you. If you are an employee, you will not get a good raise next year as you will be taken for granted. Always negotiate, even if you're happy with the offer.
If you offer first, always give a price beyond your real expectations. The secret to negotiating is making both parties feel as if they won, that they got the best deal they could have gotten. The point is not to trick people with high-pressure sales tactics, but to make them feel good about the deal.
The book contains a lot of common negotiating tactics and how to counter them.
For example, a common way to get wiggle-room in a negotiation is to resort to a higher authority. "I can't go beyond that price, my supervisor won't let me," or "I have promised others to keep informed before I make a final decision." To counter this, you can play on the person's ego: "I'm sure that the directors will trust you to make decisions on your own, they do respect your opinion, don't they?"
A couple of other tactics are:
Good guy bad guy: "My partner is awfully conservative with spending, I'll do my best to convince him."
Nibbling: After the initial relief and excitement after a negotiation, people are susceptible to accepting minor compromises.
Flinching at their first offer: Make a strong impression you are not satisfied with their first offer - if you remain like a statue they will try to squeeze more out of you.
Don't let them give you their problems: If they say "Our budget this year has been too tight and we can't give you a raise," understand that the budget is just a piece of paper and it's not your problem.
Always be reluctant to accept an offer. You look like the weaker party if you're too eager.
He narrates the book as if he has a confident smile on his face throughout the entire time and that's presumably exactly how he negotiates. Relaxed, casual, confident, and has a smile on his face.
There's a bunch of practical tips on negotiating here. One that stood out in particular for me was that you should never accept the first offer, even if it's beyond your expectations. If you do that, the other part feels cheated: "Damn, I could have gotten a better deal," and they will resent you. If you are an employee, you will not get a good raise next year as you will be taken for granted. Always negotiate, even if you're happy with the offer.
If you offer first, always give a price beyond your real expectations. The secret to negotiating is making both parties feel as if they won, that they got the best deal they could have gotten. The point is not to trick people with high-pressure sales tactics, but to make them feel good about the deal.
The book contains a lot of common negotiating tactics and how to counter them.
For example, a common way to get wiggle-room in a negotiation is to resort to a higher authority. "I can't go beyond that price, my supervisor won't let me," or "I have promised others to keep informed before I make a final decision." To counter this, you can play on the person's ego: "I'm sure that the directors will trust you to make decisions on your own, they do respect your opinion, don't they?"
A couple of other tactics are:
Good guy bad guy: "My partner is awfully conservative with spending, I'll do my best to convince him."
Nibbling: After the initial relief and excitement after a negotiation, people are susceptible to accepting minor compromises.
Flinching at their first offer: Make a strong impression you are not satisfied with their first offer - if you remain like a statue they will try to squeeze more out of you.
Don't let them give you their problems: If they say "Our budget this year has been too tight and we can't give you a raise," understand that the budget is just a piece of paper and it's not your problem.
Always be reluctant to accept an offer. You look like the weaker party if you're too eager.
October 3, 2018
I'm horrible at negotiating. Whatever price sales people tell me, I'm prone to accepting it, because I just assume that it should be the right price. A friend recommended me this book to overcome this aversion of negotiating, and it turned out to be a really good one. Dawson, who is a corporate trainer in negotiating and related matters,gathers some really impactful tips on the topic, delivered with many anecdotes and in an informal manner.
Dawson gathers his writing around what he calls "power negotiating". This could be thought of as a set of practices (which Dawson calls gambits), with one underlying principle: A power negotiator always finishes a deal with her counterpart thinking that she got the better end of the deal. The book is essentially a collection of techniques for achieving this - and a few more (unethical) ones if you are past the point of caring. The first of these is a very obvious technique that pretty much every negotiator instinctively uses: Bracketing. This technique involves overstating your expectations to have room for haggling. Dawson gives some very interesting tips on how to set the bracket, and what can be gained from over-stating your position. If you start off with your MPP (Maximum Plausible Position), you can always go down, which makes you appear to be flexible and open. It also makes whatever you are selling or offering more valuable. Finally, opening high and going down will make the other person feel like she won, as per the power negotiating principle.
Looking more broadly, this first chapter already navigates two patterns that could be taken as the main driving factors of all gambits. These are non-symmetric information and psychological effects. All negotiators go into negotiations with previous assumptions and positions. A seller has a certain window within which she would move, and certain lengths she would go, given the right conditions. Her counterpart principally cannot know these. Both parties have to base their decisions and reactions on this fact of mutual ignorance. One practice deriving from this situation is to never accept the first offer, even if it's good, because you don't know whether the person is ready to go higher. How much you know about the other person should also inform your own position. Dawson points out that the less information you have about the other person, the higher your initial position should be. An example of a gambit that is based on information gathering is Cherrypicking, wherein the buyer asks the sellers to provide prices for individual services, and then tries to get the best offer from them based on this information. Dawson also has a list of gambits for collecting information for the negotiation. These are things like admitting you have little information, just plain asking, asking open ended questions, and using peer connections to gather information.
Psychological effects, on the other hand, go two ways. There are the effects you can have on the counterpart. By reacting in certain ways,or making certain assumptions, you can convince her to accept your offer or go higher. One example is flinching at a proposal, as in visually flinching. The assumption is that most people are "visual",meaning they value visual queues higher than others. A clear flinch will thus strongly suggest to them that their offer is, in fact too low, and they need to go higher. Another interesting effect concerns the perceived value of things. When you make a concession in a negotiation, its perceived value will decrease right away, because the counterpart will already think that she has it, and it came for free. This is why, when making concessions, you have to ask for a reciprocal right away; getting it later will be impossible. Another principle that was an aha moment for me was never arguing with the counterpart. When you start arguing, you are giving people reason to stick their positions, and prove themselves right. In addition to money, their ego is on the table now, and no one wants to lose that. Dawson advises the reader to use communication techniques that aim to pull the counterpart to the negotiator's side, instead of attacking her head on.
Just as important as the psychological effects on another person are those on your own self. It is very important that, as a negotiator,you come out with the feeling that you have achieved the best result you could. Otherwise, it's a lost negotiation for you. This is one reason to use the Never accept the first offer gambit; if you accept the first offer, you forfeit your chance of getting the best offer you could. Also, during negotiation, you have to balance against certain psychological effects that would lead you to make suboptimal decisions. For example, you are conscious of only the pressures yo have, such as deadlines or internal targets. Your counterpart will have similar pressures, but you will not know about these. Therefore,you should consciously compensate for this fact, in order not to think that you have the weaker hand.
One thing you have to keep in mind while reading this book is that,having been written by someone whose primary job is negotiating, and who takes pride in being a tough negotiator, the tips and the anecodotes are sometimes rather harsh. Dawson appears to be negotiating when it wouldn't be necessary (such as when he tries to get 50% off on his first night in an East Berlin hotel), for amounts that wouldn't be necessary. There is a principle behind this behavior,which is that when you negotiatite, you make money in a short time just by talking to someone: "You'll never make money faster than you will when you're negotiating". In many situations in which I would be happy to pay the asked price and be done with it, Dawson would try to get concessions. I guess it is a matter of character and experience.
One thing that I found utterly annoying, and had to flinch again and again at, was how the author identifies himself with the most right wing policies of republican politics. On page 180, for example, he talks about the bombing of Baghdad in the first Iraq war using "we" to talk about the US military, as in "we were able to take out their communication systems". He also admits on page 304 that he is on the "exact opposite of the political spectrum" with Bill Clinton. This close identification with the writer's political views and nationality harms the book; when reading the chapter on negotiating with Americans, for example one cannot help but wonder whether what he writes about them are sincere observations and tips, or wishful thinking.
Dawson gathers his writing around what he calls "power negotiating". This could be thought of as a set of practices (which Dawson calls gambits), with one underlying principle: A power negotiator always finishes a deal with her counterpart thinking that she got the better end of the deal. The book is essentially a collection of techniques for achieving this - and a few more (unethical) ones if you are past the point of caring. The first of these is a very obvious technique that pretty much every negotiator instinctively uses: Bracketing. This technique involves overstating your expectations to have room for haggling. Dawson gives some very interesting tips on how to set the bracket, and what can be gained from over-stating your position. If you start off with your MPP (Maximum Plausible Position), you can always go down, which makes you appear to be flexible and open. It also makes whatever you are selling or offering more valuable. Finally, opening high and going down will make the other person feel like she won, as per the power negotiating principle.
Looking more broadly, this first chapter already navigates two patterns that could be taken as the main driving factors of all gambits. These are non-symmetric information and psychological effects. All negotiators go into negotiations with previous assumptions and positions. A seller has a certain window within which she would move, and certain lengths she would go, given the right conditions. Her counterpart principally cannot know these. Both parties have to base their decisions and reactions on this fact of mutual ignorance. One practice deriving from this situation is to never accept the first offer, even if it's good, because you don't know whether the person is ready to go higher. How much you know about the other person should also inform your own position. Dawson points out that the less information you have about the other person, the higher your initial position should be. An example of a gambit that is based on information gathering is Cherrypicking, wherein the buyer asks the sellers to provide prices for individual services, and then tries to get the best offer from them based on this information. Dawson also has a list of gambits for collecting information for the negotiation. These are things like admitting you have little information, just plain asking, asking open ended questions, and using peer connections to gather information.
Psychological effects, on the other hand, go two ways. There are the effects you can have on the counterpart. By reacting in certain ways,or making certain assumptions, you can convince her to accept your offer or go higher. One example is flinching at a proposal, as in visually flinching. The assumption is that most people are "visual",meaning they value visual queues higher than others. A clear flinch will thus strongly suggest to them that their offer is, in fact too low, and they need to go higher. Another interesting effect concerns the perceived value of things. When you make a concession in a negotiation, its perceived value will decrease right away, because the counterpart will already think that she has it, and it came for free. This is why, when making concessions, you have to ask for a reciprocal right away; getting it later will be impossible. Another principle that was an aha moment for me was never arguing with the counterpart. When you start arguing, you are giving people reason to stick their positions, and prove themselves right. In addition to money, their ego is on the table now, and no one wants to lose that. Dawson advises the reader to use communication techniques that aim to pull the counterpart to the negotiator's side, instead of attacking her head on.
Just as important as the psychological effects on another person are those on your own self. It is very important that, as a negotiator,you come out with the feeling that you have achieved the best result you could. Otherwise, it's a lost negotiation for you. This is one reason to use the Never accept the first offer gambit; if you accept the first offer, you forfeit your chance of getting the best offer you could. Also, during negotiation, you have to balance against certain psychological effects that would lead you to make suboptimal decisions. For example, you are conscious of only the pressures yo have, such as deadlines or internal targets. Your counterpart will have similar pressures, but you will not know about these. Therefore,you should consciously compensate for this fact, in order not to think that you have the weaker hand.
One thing you have to keep in mind while reading this book is that,having been written by someone whose primary job is negotiating, and who takes pride in being a tough negotiator, the tips and the anecodotes are sometimes rather harsh. Dawson appears to be negotiating when it wouldn't be necessary (such as when he tries to get 50% off on his first night in an East Berlin hotel), for amounts that wouldn't be necessary. There is a principle behind this behavior,which is that when you negotiatite, you make money in a short time just by talking to someone: "You'll never make money faster than you will when you're negotiating". In many situations in which I would be happy to pay the asked price and be done with it, Dawson would try to get concessions. I guess it is a matter of character and experience.
One thing that I found utterly annoying, and had to flinch again and again at, was how the author identifies himself with the most right wing policies of republican politics. On page 180, for example, he talks about the bombing of Baghdad in the first Iraq war using "we" to talk about the US military, as in "we were able to take out their communication systems". He also admits on page 304 that he is on the "exact opposite of the political spectrum" with Bill Clinton. This close identification with the writer's political views and nationality harms the book; when reading the chapter on negotiating with Americans, for example one cannot help but wonder whether what he writes about them are sincere observations and tips, or wishful thinking.
March 18, 2013
يعتبر هاد الكتاب من أفضل ما قرأت من ناحية المامو بمعظم تكنيكات تفاوض القوة أو التفاوض التوزيعي..يعاب عليه عدم وجود أي حالات عملية أو دراسات حالة في نهاية كل قسم أو فصل مقارنة بكتب أخرى..
February 25, 2019
Krenuo sam čitati ovu knjigu zbog preporuke Tima Ferrissa. A isto tako sam krenuo čitati ovu knjigu koristeći savjete za brzo čitanje od, pogađate, Tima Ferrissa.
U pregovorima je potrebno stvoriti situaciju da osoba s kojom pregovaramo misli da je pobijedila, iako smo u biti mi pobijedili. Nije nam cilj uništiti tu osobu nego suprotno, želimo da se raduje idućim pregovorima s nama.
Razlozi zašto u pregovorima trebamo tražiti uvijek više nego što mislimo da možemo dobiti su sljedeći:
Možda baš to dobijemo. Nikad ne znaš.
Dobijamo prostora da pregovaramo.
Diže percipiranu vrijednost onog što nudimo.
Spriječava osobu s kojom pregovaramo od deadlockinga tj. da izbjegavamo tjeranje pregovarača s uzmi ili ostavi ponudama
Pregovarač dobije dojam da je on pobijedio, iako nije.
Bracketing je jedan jednostavan koncept koji sam možda i sam otkrio kroz život. Ako nešto košta 100KM, a ti si spreman platiti 80KM najviše onda prvo ponudi 60KM. Uvijek je prva ponuda na pola puta. Ako on kaže ne mogu ispod 90KM, tvoja iduća ponuda je 70KM. I tako dalje. Jednostavno, zar ne? Nadalje u knjizi će nam autor objasniti kako ovo koristiti ali da ne budemo preočiti tj. da nas ne pročitaju da svaki put isto radimo.
Nikad nemoj prihvatiti prvu ponudu!
Zašto ne?
Zato što će osoba nasuprot misliti da je mogao postići bolji sporazum (ili više ili manje) jer je ponuda odmah prihvaćena, ili će misliti da nešto nije uredu.
Na prvu ponudu uvijek reagiraj sa grimasom koja kaže “ufff, pa to je preskupo”. Pa čak i preko telefona jedan uzdah puno može pomoći. Obično nakon ovoga ide odmah umanjenje. Jednostavno a efektno.
izbjegavaj konfrontacije u pregovorima. To je nešto što rade odvjetnici i nije preporučljivo.
Ako želiš dići cijenu nečega, budi Reluctant Seller. To je ono kada foliraš da nema šanse da bi prodao to. Ovo me podsjetilo na Top listu nadrealista kada je Nele prodavao gradsku vijećnicu turistu iz Amerike. Kada mu je rekao “ma ne bi ti je prodao, neeeema šanse”
Vise tehnika - “Morat ćete ponuditi nešto bolje od toga.” A ako ovo netko iskoristi na tebi, odgovori sa “A koliko točno bolje? Možete li biti malo određeniji?”, na taj način ćete loptu ponovo prebaciti na njega.
Nikad nećete lakše zaraditi novac nego pregovarajući.
Ne dopusti da druga strana zna da možeš donijeti odluku. Uvijek se pokušaj pozvati na tzv. Higher Authority.
Vrijednost usluge prolazi s vremenom. Protuuslugu traži odmah ili u roku dan dva jer kasnije će se već zaboraviti koliko je vrijedila tvoja usluga.
Kada uradimo mali ustupak koji nam ništa ne znači, odmah postavi neodređeno pitanje na način “Evo ja ću to uraditi. Nema problema. A šta ćete vi uraditi za mene?” U većiini slučajeva se dobije nešto što nismo trebali dobiti.
Nibbling je kad nešto dodatno tražiš. Često su to na meni iskoristili. Jer ja već u glavi posložim da je gotovo i onda kada zatraži nešto dodatno, pristanem, samo zato da se ne vraćamo na početnu točku opet.
Kada pregovaraš o cijeni, nikada nemoj skidati ili dodavati iste komade. Evo jednostavnog primjera iz knjige. Ako ti kćerka traži 100KM, a ti joj nudiš 50KM. Ona kaže malo. Iduća ponuda 60KM. Pa 65KM. Pa 67,50KM. Na ovo će najvjerojatnije pristati jer što manje skidamo ili dodajemo, sugovornik osjeća da je kraj i prihvaća. Iako smo mi možda mogli ići i do 80 ili 75KM.
Imaj listu stvari koje možeš dati pregovaračima koji se žele osjećati kao da su oni nešto uspješno ispregovarali. Kao što je i rečeno na početku da je cilj da se osoba s kojom pregovaramo osjeća kao da je pobijedila. Ponuditi npr. odgodu plaćanja, popust na iduću narudžbu, itd. Uvijek na kraju pregovora čestitaj osobi s kojom pregovaraš, kakav god bio ishod.
Postoje situacija kada druga strana smisli neki nemogući zahtjev koji koriste samo da bi ispregovarali bolje uvjete na stvarnim zahtjevima s kojima su i krenuli. Tako da na kraju povuku ovaj nemogući zahtjev, a mi se osjećamo kao da smo nešto dobili. Iako je taj zahtjev imao samo tu jednu svrhu.
Ova knjiga mi je na mnoge načine otvorila oči na koji način treba pregovarati. Neke stvari iz ove knjige sam nesvjesno i koristio ali tek sada imam potvrdu da su to metode koje se trebaju koristiti. Sada sa puno više samopouzdanja ulazim u pregovore jer se osjećam spremniji mentalno.
U jednom dijelu knjige se malo previše govori o arbitraži, nešto što je po meni previše detaljno obrađeno u knjizi o pregovorima.
U dijelu u kojem govori o raznim nacijama se mogu pronaći mnoge predrasude koje su upakovane na fin način kako trebamo pregovarati s određenim nacijama. Vjerujem da bi se u današnje vrijeme svi uvrijedili na ovakve zaključke ali tada je to bilo ok i drago mi je da je jer smo saznali mnoge bitne stvari o Amerikancima i neamerikancima.
Svakako preporučam da pročitate ovu knjigu jer uvijek u životu imamo situacije kada moramo pregovarati, a ovo je minimum koji moramo znati da bi bili u stanju izvući maksimum.
U pregovorima je potrebno stvoriti situaciju da osoba s kojom pregovaramo misli da je pobijedila, iako smo u biti mi pobijedili. Nije nam cilj uništiti tu osobu nego suprotno, želimo da se raduje idućim pregovorima s nama.
Razlozi zašto u pregovorima trebamo tražiti uvijek više nego što mislimo da možemo dobiti su sljedeći:
Možda baš to dobijemo. Nikad ne znaš.
Dobijamo prostora da pregovaramo.
Diže percipiranu vrijednost onog što nudimo.
Spriječava osobu s kojom pregovaramo od deadlockinga tj. da izbjegavamo tjeranje pregovarača s uzmi ili ostavi ponudama
Pregovarač dobije dojam da je on pobijedio, iako nije.
Bracketing je jedan jednostavan koncept koji sam možda i sam otkrio kroz život. Ako nešto košta 100KM, a ti si spreman platiti 80KM najviše onda prvo ponudi 60KM. Uvijek je prva ponuda na pola puta. Ako on kaže ne mogu ispod 90KM, tvoja iduća ponuda je 70KM. I tako dalje. Jednostavno, zar ne? Nadalje u knjizi će nam autor objasniti kako ovo koristiti ali da ne budemo preočiti tj. da nas ne pročitaju da svaki put isto radimo.
Nikad nemoj prihvatiti prvu ponudu!
Zašto ne?
Zato što će osoba nasuprot misliti da je mogao postići bolji sporazum (ili više ili manje) jer je ponuda odmah prihvaćena, ili će misliti da nešto nije uredu.
Na prvu ponudu uvijek reagiraj sa grimasom koja kaže “ufff, pa to je preskupo”. Pa čak i preko telefona jedan uzdah puno može pomoći. Obično nakon ovoga ide odmah umanjenje. Jednostavno a efektno.
izbjegavaj konfrontacije u pregovorima. To je nešto što rade odvjetnici i nije preporučljivo.
Ako želiš dići cijenu nečega, budi Reluctant Seller. To je ono kada foliraš da nema šanse da bi prodao to. Ovo me podsjetilo na Top listu nadrealista kada je Nele prodavao gradsku vijećnicu turistu iz Amerike. Kada mu je rekao “ma ne bi ti je prodao, neeeema šanse”
Vise tehnika - “Morat ćete ponuditi nešto bolje od toga.” A ako ovo netko iskoristi na tebi, odgovori sa “A koliko točno bolje? Možete li biti malo određeniji?”, na taj način ćete loptu ponovo prebaciti na njega.
Nikad nećete lakše zaraditi novac nego pregovarajući.
Ne dopusti da druga strana zna da možeš donijeti odluku. Uvijek se pokušaj pozvati na tzv. Higher Authority.
Vrijednost usluge prolazi s vremenom. Protuuslugu traži odmah ili u roku dan dva jer kasnije će se već zaboraviti koliko je vrijedila tvoja usluga.
Kada uradimo mali ustupak koji nam ništa ne znači, odmah postavi neodređeno pitanje na način “Evo ja ću to uraditi. Nema problema. A šta ćete vi uraditi za mene?” U većiini slučajeva se dobije nešto što nismo trebali dobiti.
Nibbling je kad nešto dodatno tražiš. Često su to na meni iskoristili. Jer ja već u glavi posložim da je gotovo i onda kada zatraži nešto dodatno, pristanem, samo zato da se ne vraćamo na početnu točku opet.
Kada pregovaraš o cijeni, nikada nemoj skidati ili dodavati iste komade. Evo jednostavnog primjera iz knjige. Ako ti kćerka traži 100KM, a ti joj nudiš 50KM. Ona kaže malo. Iduća ponuda 60KM. Pa 65KM. Pa 67,50KM. Na ovo će najvjerojatnije pristati jer što manje skidamo ili dodajemo, sugovornik osjeća da je kraj i prihvaća. Iako smo mi možda mogli ići i do 80 ili 75KM.
Imaj listu stvari koje možeš dati pregovaračima koji se žele osjećati kao da su oni nešto uspješno ispregovarali. Kao što je i rečeno na početku da je cilj da se osoba s kojom pregovaramo osjeća kao da je pobijedila. Ponuditi npr. odgodu plaćanja, popust na iduću narudžbu, itd. Uvijek na kraju pregovora čestitaj osobi s kojom pregovaraš, kakav god bio ishod.
Postoje situacija kada druga strana smisli neki nemogući zahtjev koji koriste samo da bi ispregovarali bolje uvjete na stvarnim zahtjevima s kojima su i krenuli. Tako da na kraju povuku ovaj nemogući zahtjev, a mi se osjećamo kao da smo nešto dobili. Iako je taj zahtjev imao samo tu jednu svrhu.
Ova knjiga mi je na mnoge načine otvorila oči na koji način treba pregovarati. Neke stvari iz ove knjige sam nesvjesno i koristio ali tek sada imam potvrdu da su to metode koje se trebaju koristiti. Sada sa puno više samopouzdanja ulazim u pregovore jer se osjećam spremniji mentalno.
U jednom dijelu knjige se malo previše govori o arbitraži, nešto što je po meni previše detaljno obrađeno u knjizi o pregovorima.
U dijelu u kojem govori o raznim nacijama se mogu pronaći mnoge predrasude koje su upakovane na fin način kako trebamo pregovarati s određenim nacijama. Vjerujem da bi se u današnje vrijeme svi uvrijedili na ovakve zaključke ali tada je to bilo ok i drago mi je da je jer smo saznali mnoge bitne stvari o Amerikancima i neamerikancima.
Svakako preporučam da pročitate ovu knjigu jer uvijek u životu imamo situacije kada moramo pregovarati, a ovo je minimum koji moramo znati da bi bili u stanju izvući maksimum.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2022
This one's a little different from "Getting to Yes" in that it emphasizes somewhat manipulative behaviors in negotiating. There are tons of tips (called "gambits") described in this book; behaviors that you should become comfortable performing in every negotiation. These behaviors can feel underhanded, but they are very effective in practice.
These behaviors include, for example: "Never say yes to the first offer", "play the reluctant seller/buyer", "never offer to split the difference", "play good guy/bad guy", or make up a bad guy (such as a boss or spouse) who "would never agree to this, so we better keep working", "Get the other side to commit (state their proposal) first", and "Don't let the other side write the contract"!
If you stick to these (and more) behaviors/principles, you will get better results in any negotiation.
There is some interesting psychology in this book. I like the chapter about the declining value of services, which means that concessions made are immediately taken for granted. You would lose face and be seen as inconsistent if you offered $30,000 for a boat that your friend is selling, and then tried to go back down to $25,000. So before you agree to a concession, like a price offer, ask for something in return! For example, free transportation of the boat to your house, a new inspection sticker for the upcoming year, and a full tank of gas. You just might get it!
There is some over-generalizing about cross-cultural negotiations and Dawson loves to hype himself up by regaling the reader with tales of how he basically ripped someone off. But there is solid advice in this book. It has 100% made me a more effective negotiator.
These behaviors include, for example: "Never say yes to the first offer", "play the reluctant seller/buyer", "never offer to split the difference", "play good guy/bad guy", or make up a bad guy (such as a boss or spouse) who "would never agree to this, so we better keep working", "Get the other side to commit (state their proposal) first", and "Don't let the other side write the contract"!
If you stick to these (and more) behaviors/principles, you will get better results in any negotiation.
There is some interesting psychology in this book. I like the chapter about the declining value of services, which means that concessions made are immediately taken for granted. You would lose face and be seen as inconsistent if you offered $30,000 for a boat that your friend is selling, and then tried to go back down to $25,000. So before you agree to a concession, like a price offer, ask for something in return! For example, free transportation of the boat to your house, a new inspection sticker for the upcoming year, and a full tank of gas. You just might get it!
There is some over-generalizing about cross-cultural negotiations and Dawson loves to hype himself up by regaling the reader with tales of how he basically ripped someone off. But there is solid advice in this book. It has 100% made me a more effective negotiator.
February 27, 2023
Not as much depth as Dr. Karrass’s book, but there’s still some very useful “practical philosophy” on the who, what, when, where, and why of negotiation.
There are lots of negotiation books out there, and because negotiation is more of an art than it is a science, usually the style depends on what’s worked for the author empirically. I’d still rate this as more applicable to everyday life and/or business scenarios versus Chris Voss’s book, which is written primarily from the lens of a hardball hostage negotiator (although the Voss’s FBI credentials make for a good story and marketing).
The most valuable chapter I found is on character / personality types. I’ve encountered the “extrovert” type — who spends his/her days consumed with passive spectating (i.e. watching TV and attending sporting events) and is quick to make emotional decisions — in just about every office / team environment I’ve ever worked on (they’ll usually reside in sales or middle management).
All other personality types covered are spot-on — and the better you learn them, the better you’ll be able to build rapport and influence that particular personality type. Sometimes these might be miles apart from your own, and if you’ve ever been in a shared or close-quarters living situation, you know how important this skill is.
Brian Tracy’s short ‘Negotiation’ tome also seems to borrow a significant amount of info from this book.
P.S.. My rating / review is based solely on the audiobook edition, which unfortunately is abridged.
There are lots of negotiation books out there, and because negotiation is more of an art than it is a science, usually the style depends on what’s worked for the author empirically. I’d still rate this as more applicable to everyday life and/or business scenarios versus Chris Voss’s book, which is written primarily from the lens of a hardball hostage negotiator (although the Voss’s FBI credentials make for a good story and marketing).
The most valuable chapter I found is on character / personality types. I’ve encountered the “extrovert” type — who spends his/her days consumed with passive spectating (i.e. watching TV and attending sporting events) and is quick to make emotional decisions — in just about every office / team environment I’ve ever worked on (they’ll usually reside in sales or middle management).
All other personality types covered are spot-on — and the better you learn them, the better you’ll be able to build rapport and influence that particular personality type. Sometimes these might be miles apart from your own, and if you’ve ever been in a shared or close-quarters living situation, you know how important this skill is.
Brian Tracy’s short ‘Negotiation’ tome also seems to borrow a significant amount of info from this book.
P.S.. My rating / review is based solely on the audiobook edition, which unfortunately is abridged.
September 27, 2017
Secrets to Power Negotiation has a simple philosophy: Create a win-win solution out of every negotiation so that all parties involved feel good afterwards. The negotiation process should be fun, like a game of chess. After this game, both players are happy about the fair outcome. They even would like to play again (not out of revenge), but to experience the fun. But just like a game of chess, you need to learn the techniques with which to play the game.
The book offers many techniques which you can practice and master that helps you gain what you need from a negotiation at work, home, etc. While the philosophy states that everyone should feel like a winner after a negotiation, it is naive to think that someone is going to simply hand this over to you. You need to learn the techniques to protect yourself and gain what is your right.
Of course not all of the techniques will always have the intended outcome (just like a game of chess). But by practicing them in real life you can make sure more often than not you will get what you desire. Moreover, the sense of confidence you gain by having the knowledge of how the game is played would simply steer you to a better solution than previously was possible for you.
I wholly recommend this book to anyone who is a beginner or intermediate negotiator. I felt it changed a lot of things for me and I strive to master all its techniques.
The book offers many techniques which you can practice and master that helps you gain what you need from a negotiation at work, home, etc. While the philosophy states that everyone should feel like a winner after a negotiation, it is naive to think that someone is going to simply hand this over to you. You need to learn the techniques to protect yourself and gain what is your right.
Of course not all of the techniques will always have the intended outcome (just like a game of chess). But by practicing them in real life you can make sure more often than not you will get what you desire. Moreover, the sense of confidence you gain by having the knowledge of how the game is played would simply steer you to a better solution than previously was possible for you.
I wholly recommend this book to anyone who is a beginner or intermediate negotiator. I felt it changed a lot of things for me and I strive to master all its techniques.
August 4, 2020
I've been 'reading' (sort of) Getting Past No for a long time now, which teaches you how to defend yourself from unethical, bad faith negotiation tactics. I thought I'd read this book to get a better picture of the other side - how people employ those tactics, like the use of coercion and misdirection, or as Roger Dawson puts it, the power of 'violence' to dominate negotiations and agreements. For heaven's sake, even the cheesy title of this book conjures up visions of secret underground lairs and international cabals of Bad People.
What I wasn't expecting was that the book would be well-written, entertaining and genuinely useful. Okay, so it's a little unnerving that the author introduces certain 'gambits' as deeply unethical, and then proceeds to describe how he's used each of them with about as much shame as a billionaire arms dealer. But even he emphasizes the need for each party to walk away happy, and how you can work cooperatively so that everyone gets what they need from the deal. The book is full of clearly described actions you can take to become a better negotiator.
Okay, so I'm not sure I'll be running around trying to 'apply the vise' to people, but hopefully I'll be a bit better at recognising dodgy tactics when they get used against me after having read this.
What I wasn't expecting was that the book would be well-written, entertaining and genuinely useful. Okay, so it's a little unnerving that the author introduces certain 'gambits' as deeply unethical, and then proceeds to describe how he's used each of them with about as much shame as a billionaire arms dealer. But even he emphasizes the need for each party to walk away happy, and how you can work cooperatively so that everyone gets what they need from the deal. The book is full of clearly described actions you can take to become a better negotiator.
Okay, so I'm not sure I'll be running around trying to 'apply the vise' to people, but hopefully I'll be a bit better at recognising dodgy tactics when they get used against me after having read this.
December 18, 2019
“By employing a wide range of strategic moves known as gambits, you can greatly increase your chances of success in a negotiation. In the beginning phase, you can establish a favorable negotiating range by asking for more than you expect, flinching, using the vise technique and pretending to be a reluctant buyer or seller. In the middle phase, you get closer to the outcome you want by tapering your concessions, hiding behind a higher authority, and by using the trade-off and set-aside gambits. Finally, in the end phase, you can seal the deal by nibbling or withdrawing an offer.
Actionable advice:
Remember that money is money.
When negotiating deals involving large sums of money, it’s common for people to fall into the trap of thinking in terms of percentages rather than absolute numbers. For example, let’s say you’re about to buy a house for $200,000, and you could get the other side to come down to $199,000. The savings of $1,000 is just one half of one percent, so it doesn’t seem like a big deal if you look at it that way, and it’s easy to let go of. But what if you spent just a minute convincing the other side to come down by $1,000? In and of itself, that’s a lot of money for a very small amount of time. Just imagine if you had a job that paid you $1,000 per minute!”
Actionable advice:
Remember that money is money.
When negotiating deals involving large sums of money, it’s common for people to fall into the trap of thinking in terms of percentages rather than absolute numbers. For example, let’s say you’re about to buy a house for $200,000, and you could get the other side to come down to $199,000. The savings of $1,000 is just one half of one percent, so it doesn’t seem like a big deal if you look at it that way, and it’s easy to let go of. But what if you spent just a minute convincing the other side to come down by $1,000? In and of itself, that’s a lot of money for a very small amount of time. Just imagine if you had a job that paid you $1,000 per minute!”
October 15, 2019
4.5/5
Really detailed book about negotiating- spanning from topics about win-win situations, international negotiations, body language, and tons of other subtleties that probably often go unnoticed. I began reading this book with the impression that negotiating is dirty work, requiring dishonesty or stepping on other people’s toes. I learned that while that does happen, it’s not in the essence of power negotiating. They utilize their knowledge to their advantage, are not afraid to ask for more, concentrate on issues and don’t tie emotions into negotiations, and are good with their words. This book identifies many existing strategies that other people use and practically provide possible lines or actions to take to counteract these situations. One of the most practical “self-help” books I’ve ever read. Highly recommend. In the same tier as How to Make Friends and Influence People or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for me personally.
Really detailed book about negotiating- spanning from topics about win-win situations, international negotiations, body language, and tons of other subtleties that probably often go unnoticed. I began reading this book with the impression that negotiating is dirty work, requiring dishonesty or stepping on other people’s toes. I learned that while that does happen, it’s not in the essence of power negotiating. They utilize their knowledge to their advantage, are not afraid to ask for more, concentrate on issues and don’t tie emotions into negotiations, and are good with their words. This book identifies many existing strategies that other people use and practically provide possible lines or actions to take to counteract these situations. One of the most practical “self-help” books I’ve ever read. Highly recommend. In the same tier as How to Make Friends and Influence People or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for me personally.
September 17, 2020
Secrets of a Power Negotiator is about...negotiation.
It’s a set of tactics for the opening, middle, and ending of a negotiation, along with a general strategy of negotiation.
The strategy is...fine.... - try to satisfy the needs of others, as long as it doesn’t come at your expense.
More useful are the specific tactics (the vice, good guy/bad guy, higher authority, etc).
However, the tactics often seem at odds with the strategy (be nice and bargain in good faith).
I prefer the strategies laid out in Negotiation Genius, but I can see the tactics laid out in this book being a useful compliment.
I wish it was 50% shorter.
It’s a set of tactics for the opening, middle, and ending of a negotiation, along with a general strategy of negotiation.
The strategy is...fine.... - try to satisfy the needs of others, as long as it doesn’t come at your expense.
More useful are the specific tactics (the vice, good guy/bad guy, higher authority, etc).
However, the tactics often seem at odds with the strategy (be nice and bargain in good faith).
I prefer the strategies laid out in Negotiation Genius, but I can see the tactics laid out in this book being a useful compliment.
I wish it was 50% shorter.
April 19, 2019
Some points from the book
Ask more that you want
bracket your position
always wait for other side to start first
be a reluctant seller or a buyer
never say yes to a first offer
flinch at proposals
the declinening value of service
use the you can do better than that gambit
always congratulate your opponent at the end of negotiating
ask open questions
write the contract yourself
always have the higher authority
use the good guy bad guide
never argue
use time pressure
be prepare to walk away
Ask more that you want
bracket your position
always wait for other side to start first
be a reluctant seller or a buyer
never say yes to a first offer
flinch at proposals
the declinening value of service
use the you can do better than that gambit
always congratulate your opponent at the end of negotiating
ask open questions
write the contract yourself
always have the higher authority
use the good guy bad guide
never argue
use time pressure
be prepare to walk away
April 14, 2020
Exactly what you can expect from a book written by a British man who immigrated to the States in the 1960s- a persona so unpleasant and so cringingly self-promoting, it was a chore to get through the book. But get through it I did, not to use his 'negociation gambits' per se, but to at least be able to recognize them if they are used on me. A word to describe this book: 'sleazy' or 'unpleasant' or 'next!’
April 28, 2021
Book explains negotiation in way to cleaner and non jargon way. Enjoyed the whole book without a word like BATNA.
The explanation of personality types is also clean and simple to understand. Though I feel a little more detailed approach to personality types would have made this an invaluable book.
Overall, the book is good text book in a nice narration style with a pinch of practical examples and case studies.
👍 Thumbs up.
The explanation of personality types is also clean and simple to understand. Though I feel a little more detailed approach to personality types would have made this an invaluable book.
Overall, the book is good text book in a nice narration style with a pinch of practical examples and case studies.
👍 Thumbs up.
May 28, 2017
It is an okay book. I was expecting a shorter read but when i saw how many chapters it had my jaw went down south. Dont buy this book as an ebook, it has so much interesting content that you probably will have to read everything a few times. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who works in sales and/or looking to buy a property
April 21, 2024
For anyone halfway decent at negotiation, this book is full of “insights” and concepts that are table stakes. If you’re brand new to negotiation, then perhaps this will teach you some basics, but the notion that these are secrets or power moves or anything other than basic standards in negotiation is untrue.
July 14, 2017
I found this info pretty rudimentary however was worth a quick listen.
Top takeaways:
Always flinch at the initial price.
Always ask for more than you want so the other person can get a win when you drop the price.
Top takeaways:
Always flinch at the initial price.
Always ask for more than you want so the other person can get a win when you drop the price.
February 24, 2018
I thought this was a great book, and I definitely got some serious value out of it. Really helped me out. I think the best part of this book is that the advice is directly actionable, not just vague and "inspirational" wash. I liked it so much I bought a couple more from Mr. Dawson too.
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