Prepare

Good Cop/Bad Cop

Sometimes you may find yourself in a situation with two or more participants on one team, you’ll notice one partner acting very cordial and empathetic, where the other partner is extremely temperamental and demeaning. The “bad cop” threatens you and probably declares that there is “no reason to continue conversations.” Once you begin to fear […]

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7. Strategy and Team

Create a team on your side. It may consist of co-negotiators, experts in various aspects or good cop-bad cop, information sources, and devil’s advocates with whom you can role-play. Practice before you go to the table. Assess the other side and the members of their team. Who are their decision makers? Don’t get caught by

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5. Strengths and Weaknesses

Virtually all negotiators over-estimate their own weaknesses and the other side’s strengths. Try to take an honest inventory of each side’s real strong points and vulnerabilities. An analysis of the other items in the Preparation Planner should be a part of that inventory. Ask yourself if your vulnerabilities appear as weaknesses to the other side

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4. Deadlines

Knowing your own realistic deadline in advance will tell you how much leeway you have before you take an entrenched position. Similarly, understanding the other side’s deadline may give you an edge or allow you to forego a point in order to gain somewhere. Deadlines are pressure points. Know where the pressure points are in

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3. Interests

Your interests and theirs are the keys to getting past what seem like rock-hard positions. Interests are all about getting beyond what they say they want to what they might really want. In short, they are those things that you need the most, those things that mean the most to your side and, conversely, those

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2. Alternatives

Employing alternatives gives you the power of options. Going into a negotiation without options is like going into battle with one weapon. What if the battering ram won’t knock the door down? Did you bring grappling hooks to flight over the walls? If not, you’re not going to get inside. Alternatives make you less dependent

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1. Precedents

Knowing precedents gives you the power of the past. You can quote or cite, as well as learn from, those events that have already happened, thereby giving legitimacy and credence to your position. Knowing how similar transactions turned out in the past may also guide you in structuring this one. But don’t just focus on

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Out Prepare to Out Perform

The Seven Prep Steps of the Preparation Planner: 1.      Precedents 2.      Alternatives 3.      Interests 4.      Deadlines 5.      Strengths and Weaknesses 6.      Highest Goal/Walk Away Position 7.      Strategy and Team The Preparation Checklist or Preparation Planner was created to serve as a tool for people from all walks of life to deal with the pressure of

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Virtual Reality

For over 15 years, SNI has been conducting training programs and providing real deal consulting services that have helped our clients generate and save millions of dollars and secure long-lasting partnerships. While we are undoubtedly proud of these accomplishments, we’re also extremely excited about the next evolution of our company: Virtual Training Partners. For year,

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