How to Become a Better Negotiator, Second Edition

Develop a Mental Picture of an Ideal Agreement

Once you understand the issues at stake and interests of the negotiating parties, develop a mental picture of an ideal agreement. What would be the best takeaway for you? And if you understand the interests of the other side, how would they see the ideal resolution?

In cases where mutual interest can be found, as shown in Figure 7–1, think about things that you could trade off, at little expense to yourself, for things that the other side might find highly valuable. For instance, if you were the vendor in our example and had lots of techies with time on their hands this month, you might say, “If we can negotiate the purchase before the end of the month, I’d be willing to have two of our people spend ...