The essential idea
A negotiation strategy is a decision map. It keeps pressure, emotion, and surprise from making your choices for you.
What to remember
- Set a specific objective and rank what matters most before discussing terms.
- Know your BATNA and your walk-away point before the other side makes an offer.
- Research the other party’s interests, constraints, authority, and likely objections.
- Choose a style—competitive, collaborative, compromising, avoiding, or accommodating—that fits the stakes and the relationship.
Put it into practice
- Define three outcomes. Write your ideal result, an acceptable result, and the point where the deal no longer makes sense.
- Anticipate their opening. List the three arguments or objections you are most likely to hear and prepare calm responses.
- Plan concessions. Decide what you can trade, what each item costs you, and what you expect in return.
- Control the agenda. Put the most useful issues in an order that builds information, momentum, and trust.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing optimism with preparation
- Making concessions without receiving value in return
- Using one negotiation style in every situation
Your next move
Create a one-page strategy sheet with your objective, BATNA, walk-away point, likely objections, and three tradable items.
Bottom line: Strong negotiators prepare with intention, stay curious during the conversation, and make decisions against clear standards—not pressure.