Bargraining for Advantage

Notes
Bargaining for Advantage
by G. Richard Shell

What convinces is conviction-have a passionate commitment to ambitious goals. But make sure they are justifiable and supported by solid arguments. Do not focus on your bottom line too early. Perhaps no other personal variable makes such a difference in negotiating as the quiet feeling of confidence, self esteem, and a commitment that emanates from people who know what they want and why they ought to get it. Make a public commitment regarding your goals- tell friends and associates, have a deadline and a vision of what is to be gained and what could be lost. Position your needs within the normative framework of the other party and always be aware of the consistency principle–utilizing norms, institutionalized standards and fair market value to maintain normative leverage within industries/cultures.

Consider positioning themes when negotiating–use a crisp, memorable phrase or framework that defines the problem you are attempting to solve in the negotiation. Be aware of phrases like company policy, standard procedure, etc… These are authority ploys that exploit man’s tendency to defer to authority.