Negotiations : Six Steps to Success

This book offers a simple, systematic approach to a subject that can be complex, daunting, and full of surprises-the art and technique of negotiation. While we are often aware of and impressed by the celebrated negotiators of the world; government representatives, athletes, or entertainers; all of us are called upon at some point to pick up the gauntlet and attempt to settle a difference by amiable discussion.

Our ability to negotiate competently affects every aspect of our life and work; the prices we pay for capital purchases and real estate, the procurement of loans, career moves, and the happiness of the people around us. So why have we overlooked deve loping this skill and why do we have such difficulty negotiating? We, the authors, believe that individuals lack a dependable and effective process to accomplish negotiations. We wrote this book to provide such a process to anyone who wishes to negotiate anything.

We recognized a need for simplifying what seems to many to be a complex and often intimidating process. We thus separated the negotiating process into six manageable phases which, if followed carefully, will lead to successful resolution of dispute. The model we have developed can be used as a skeleton for analyzing and planning the simplest negotiation or as a structure on which to build a plan for the most complex, team-bargaining session.

Our model covers the spectrum of activity from preliminary planning to negotiation discussion to post-agreement and continuous improvement efforts. We believe that our six step approach provides the individual with the opportunity to refine his or he r negotiating skills, regardless of negotiation history.

One advantage of our model is that it divides pre-negotiation planning into three distinct steps. The first step concentrates on the strategic goals of the negotiation. The near-term or tactical objective is determined in the second step. In the thir d step, detailed plans and agendas are developed. The remaining three steps lead one through the actual negotiation phase. They concern gaining and maintaining control, closing negotiations, and continuous improvement techniques for reviewing perform ance. The most important benefit of this six step approach is that it provides the negotiator with a clear and definite outline for action that keeps the major, strategic goals in the forefront of the negotiation process.

This book, then, is about negotiation, a process that is universally practiced, but seldom mastered. We would like negotiators to be satisfied with their results. This is not to suggest that all negotiations should have a win/win outcome-sometimes there must be a loser. But we believe the techniques and attitudes required for win/win negotiation-clear communications, empathy, awareness of the opposition's interests, and a sense of fair play-will help the opposition to see the advantage of compromise, even if one's original objectives are not achieved.

With our 25 years of experience in training thousands of negotiators in the U.S. and abroad, we trust that readers will gain from this book and improve their future negotiations. We've exerted great effort to make this book easy to read and apply and with the concrete techniques, templates, case studies, and real-life examples that we have used, we hope the negotiation process comes to life for you. We wish all of you the best of negotiating in your future endeavors.

Lexington, Massachusetts
February, 1995