Mind and Heart of the Negotiator, Second Edition, The

Debunking Negotiation Myths

Before we start on our journey toward developing a more effective negotiation strategy, we need to dispel several faulty assumptions and myths about negotiation. These myths hamper people's ability to learn effective negotiation skills and, in some cases, reinforce poor negotiation skills. In the following section, we expose the four most prevalent myths about negotiation behavior.

Myth 1: Good Negotiators Are Born

A pervasive belief is that good negotiation skills are something that people are born with, not something that can be readily learned. This is false because most excellent negotiators are self-made. In fact, there are very few naturally gifted negotiators. We tend to hear their stories, but we must remember ...