Getting To Yes
Getting to Yes : Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury
[ISBN 0140157352]
Basic concepts (also Chapters 1-5):
- Don't Bargain Over Positions( car buying can be a different story) -- aka DontHaggleJustWalk
- Separate the People from the Problem -- DontPersonalize
- Focus on Interests, Not Positions -- A classic example of this is the Camp David Peace Accord. Both Egypt and Israel wanted the Sinai, but for very different reasons. Egypt wanted sovereignty, Israel wanted security. A formula was worked out where the territory was handed over to Egypt, and Egypt agreed not to position offensive weapons there. (U.S. spy satellites provide an ongoing guarantee that Egypt won't backslide.)
- Invent Options for Mutual Gain -- aka WinWin
- Insist on Using Objective Criteria
Later chapters talk about some additional techniques, most notably BestAlternativeToNegotiatedAgreement.
Read this book now and re-read before you negotiate.
Yes, read the book and practice as much as you can.
I recommend as an alternative StartWithNo by Jim Camp. Getting to Yes used to be my all-time favorite book on negotiations until I read Start With No. Don't let the title scare you off, it's actually a very good book. -- StephanBranczyk
I've written a little on how these principles apply to software development. See http://www.agilekiwi.com/negotiation.htm -- JohnRusk