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

4. Determine the Strength of Your Opponent’s Needs and Wants

Martial artists are taught by a code of ethics to respond to a threat with an appropriate amount of force. If you are on the street and a drunken bully is trying to goad you into a fight, you may use only enough force to keep the bully away from you; this is known as a Level One response. If the bully grabs you to get your attention, then a Level Two response is warranted, which might mean throwing him to the ground. If he has a bat and wants your wallet, a Level Three response is required, which could mean you take the weapon away and perhaps even hit him with it. If he has a knife or a gun, you know he is desperate, so you should use a Level Four response, which means you will use ...