“Go ahead, make my day,” said Clint Eastwood as inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan in the movie “Sudden Impact.” This threat, backed up with a large gun and delivered to a “punk” holding a hostage, was very effective — as intended. But what about less violent...
“A principle is involved,” he said, “and that’s why we’re taking a hard line. The principle is just too important to undermine. As a result, we will not concede on that issue.” This “principle is involved” negotiation move can be one of the most frustrating to...
How many times have you heard in a negotiation “but it’s the principle involved”? Countless times, I’m sure. But is it really? Or is it just a subterfuge for “I don’t want to move and calling it a principle is a convenient and relatively painless way to avoid doing...
“Let’s just split the difference,” he suggested after we had negotiated all day over my client’s lawsuit. Our last offer? $320,000. His last? $300,000. Sounds fair, right? Almost everyone has used this closing technique when negotiations drag on. After all, splitting...
Our son turned 2 recently, and he seems to have a newfound desire to tell us “no.” He is increasingly testing his limits and boundaries, which often involves him saying “no” to us, and vice versa. How he communicates “no” and how we respond represents a critical stage...
I was driving south on the Squaw Peak around 9:30 a.m. when the engine missed. Despite my mechanical ignorance, I knew something was wrong. My only question – whether I could nurse it to the shop without destroying the engine. I gambled, and five minutes later drove...
“This is a fair and reasonable price,” my real estate agent told the potential buyer’s agent. “Just look at its market value based on the comparable houses sold in this neighborhood.” One of the most effective moves in many negotiations occurs when parties invoke...
Should you make the first offer, or get your counterpart to take the first step? In many negotiations, this can be the most critical strategic decision you make. Early in my career, I heard that you should never make the first offer. Frankly, this is unrealistic....
“How can I negotiate with someone who doesn’t really understand how the negotiation process works? And so they say and do things that don’t make any sense, or are so reluctant to open up and explore possible mutual interests that we all may end up losing out on a...
When it comes to negotiations, I’m often asked: “How much should we move in a negotiation after we open? And how much should we move later, and when and how? I usually respond with the following story. John had just filed for divorce and was representing himself in...
I bought my first car in 1987. It was the shortest negotiation in my life. My dad offered to sell me his 1981 Datsun 280ZX for its “Blue Book” value, $5,500. I said, “OK.” End of negotiation. “Wait a second,” some of you might say. “Didn’t you once write that first...
We needed some extra tile to fully renovate the kitchen in our new vacation home, so we asked the seller about it, and he offered to sell it for around $800. After doing some Internet research and asking the opinion of a flooring shop owner, I told the seller a...
