Black Belt Negotiating: Become a Master Negotiator Using Powerful Lessons from the Martial Arts

2. Set Goals in Advance

Once you have your list of wants and needs clearly defined, then it’s time to set your goals, which are essentially all your needs and as many of your wants as you can think of, all packaged together. Needs, as we have said, represent the bare minimum you will accept. This is commonly known as your bottom line, which for buyers means the most you would pay and for sellers, the least you would accept. They are nonnegotiable. Your wants, however, can range from the ideal, perfect package, which includes everything, to your minimal group of wants.

For example, if you sold your house because you want to travel in your golden years, your need might be to purchase a recreational vehicle. You should decide ahead of time where ...