Why Negotiation Matters
Every professional negotiates daily — whether they realise it or not. A project manager negotiates deadlines with stakeholders. A procurement officer negotiates terms with suppliers. An engineer negotiates scope changes with clients. A sales director negotiates pricing with procurement. Yet most professionals have never studied negotiation formally. They rely on instinct, experience, and tactics absorbed from colleagues.
The cost of poor negotiation is staggering. Research by the Harvard Program on Negotiation suggests that ineffective negotiators leave 5-20% of potential value on the table in every deal. For a $50 million construction project, that is $2.5-10 million in lost value — enough to erase profit margins entirely.
This article provides a comprehensive foundation in negotiation theory and practice, drawing from the Harvard Program on Negotiation, Fisher and Ury's seminal work Getting to Yes, Chris Voss's field-tested techniques from Never Split the Difference, and decades of behavioural economics research.
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Learning Objectives
Readers will learn:
The fundamental frameworks that distinguish expert negotiators from amateurs, How to identify negotiation types and select appropriate strategies, The psychological and behavioural forces that shape negotiation outcomes, How to prepare systematically using proven frameworks, and The language patterns and communication techniques used by professionals.
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1. The Two Worlds of Negotiation: Distributive vs Integrative
Distributive Negotiation
Distributive negotiation — sometimes called "zero-sum" or "fixed-pie" negotiation — involves a single issue where one party's gain is the other's loss. The classic example is price: every dollar the buyer saves is a dollar the seller loses.
Characteristics:
Single issue (usually price), Fixed resources being divided, Competitive dynamic, Concealment of information, and Goal: claim maximum value.
Example: A construction company is buying 500 tonnes of structural steel from a supplier. The negotiation is purely about price. The supplier's reservation price (minimum acceptable) is $800/tonne. The buyer's reservation price (maximum acceptable) is $1,200/tonne. The zone of possible agreement (ZOPA) lies between $800 and $1,200. Wherever they settle within this range, one party's gain equals the other's loss.
Integrative Negotiation
Integrative negotiation — sometimes called "win-win" or "interest-based" negotiation — involves multiple issues where both parties can achieve gains through creative problem-solving. The goal is to expand the pie before dividing it.
Characteristics:
Multiple issues, Potential for mutual gain, Collaborative dynamic, Information sharing, and Goal: create and claim value.
Example: The same steel purchase, but now the negotiation includes price, delivery schedule, payment terms, quality certification, and warranty. The buyer needs urgent delivery (willing to pay a premium). The supplier has excess inventory and wants immediate cash flow (willing to discount for faster payment). By trading delivery speed for price flexibility, both parties achieve better outcomes than a pure price negotiation.
When to Use Each Approach
| Factor | Distributive | Integrative |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship | One-time transaction | Ongoing relationship |
| Issues | Single issue | Multiple issues |
| Information | Conceal | Share selectively |
| Goal | Claim value | Create and claim value |
| Time | Short-term | Long-term |
Most real-world negotiations are mixed — they have both distributive and integrative elements. Expert negotiators identify which issues are distributive (compete) and which are integrative (collaborate), then adjust their approach issue by issue.
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2. The Harvard Method: Principled Negotiation
Developed by Roger Fisher and William Ury at the Harvard Negotiation Project, principled negotiation provides four foundational rules:
2.1 Separate the People from the Problem
Negotiation involves two dimensions: the substance (the deal) and the relationship (the people). Amateur negotiators conflate these — they treat substantive disagreements as personal attacks, or they soften substantive positions to preserve relationships.
Practical application: In a software development project, a product manager disagrees with the engineering lead about feature scope. Instead of attacking the engineer's competence ("You're over-engineering this"), the product manager frames the issue as a shared problem: "We have a constraint — the launch date and the feature set don't align. How do we resolve this together?"
2.2 Focus on Interests, Not Positions
Positions are what people say they want. Interests are why they want it. The gap between position and interest is where creative solutions live.
Example: A government agency demands that a contractor complete a highway project in 24 months. The contractor insists on 30 months. The agency's position is "24 months"; their interest is "minimising public disruption during construction." The contractor's position is "30 months"; their interest is "maintaining quality and workforce stability."
By focusing on interests, they discover a solution: 26 months with night-only construction in urban segments (reducing public disruption) and day construction in rural segments (improving productivity). Both interests are served; neither position is adopted.
2.3 Generate Options for Mutual Gain
Amateur negotiators assume the solution is obvious and fight over it. Expert negotiators generate multiple options before committing to any single solution.
Techniques for option generation:
Brainstorming without commitment, "What if we..." scenarios, Expert consultation, Precedent analysis from similar deals, and Unbundling issues to create trading opportunities.
2.4 Use Objective Criteria
Instead of arguing about what is "fair" or "reasonable," expert negotiators anchor their discussions in independent standards:
Market rates and published indices, Industry standards (ISO, ASTM, ANSI), Regulatory requirements, Expert appraisals, Precedent transactions, and Cost-plus calculations with audited data.
Example: In negotiating a variation order on a construction project, instead of the contractor demanding "$500K" and the employer offering "$300K," both parties refer to the published RICS rate guide and the actual audited cost data. The negotiation shifts from positional bargaining to a data-driven discussion.
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3. Chris Voss Techniques: Tactical Empathy
Chris Voss, former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator, brought a fundamentally different approach to business negotiation. His core insight: people are not rational — they are emotional first, rational second.
3.1 Tactical Empathy
Tactical empathy is understanding the other party's feelings and worldview without necessarily agreeing with them. It is not sympathy (feeling what they feel) — it is understanding what they feel and why, then using that understanding strategically.
Technique — Labeling: Name the other party's emotion to defuse it.
"It seems like you're concerned about the timeline."
"It sounds like budget certainty is critical for your board."
Labels are observations, not accusations. They make the other party feel heard and reduce defensive postures.
3.2 Calibrated Questions
Instead of making demands, ask "how" and "what" questions that force the other party to think about your problem:
"How am I supposed to do that?" (when faced with an unreasonable demand), "What is the biggest challenge you're facing?", "How does this fit with your overall strategy?", and "What would it take to make this work for both of us?".
Calibrated questions shift the cognitive load to the other party. They must solve your problem, which often leads them to propose solutions more favourable than you would have dared request.
3.3 The Power of "No"
Amateur negotiators fear "no." Expert negotiators use it strategically.
"No" is not rejection — it is the start of negotiation, "No" makes the other party feel safe and in control, "Have you given up on this project?" is more powerful than "Are you still interested?", and "No"-oriented questions trigger a protective response that opens dialogue.
3.4 Mirroring
Repeat the last 1-3 words of the other party's statement as a question. This encourages them to elaborate, often revealing information they did not intend to share.
Example:
Supplier: "We can't go below $1,000 per unit.", You: "$1,000 per unit?", and Supplier: "Well, that's our standard price, but for volume orders we have some flexibility...".
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4. Behavioural Economics in Negotiation
4.1 Anchoring Bias
The first number mentioned in a negotiation tends to anchor the final outcome. Research by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman demonstrated that even arbitrary numbers influence subsequent estimates.
Practical implication: If you are the buyer, anchor low with credible justification. If you are the seller, anchor high with credible justification. The anchor must be credible — an absurd anchor is dismissed and can backfire.
Example: A consulting firm proposing a $2M engagement might anchor by presenting a $2.8M "full scope" option first, then offering the $2M "optimised scope" as the recommended choice. The $2M feels reasonable in comparison to the $2.8M anchor.
4.2 Loss Aversion and Prospect Theory
Kahneman and Tversky's Prospect Theory shows that losses feel approximately twice as intense as equivalent gains. $100 lost hurts twice as much as $100 gained feels good.
Negotiation application: Frame proposals in terms of what the other party loses by not agreeing, rather than what they gain by agreeing.
"If we don't resolve this now, you'll lose the construction window and face $50K/month in delay costs" is more persuasive than "If we resolve this now, you'll save $50K/month.".
4.3 Framing Effect
How information is presented changes decisions, even when the substance is identical.
"This investment costs $100K" vs "This investment represents only 2% of your annual revenue", and "We're asking for a 15% increase" vs "We're asking for market-rate adjustment after 3 years of frozen pricing".
4.4 Reciprocity
Robert Cialdini's research on influence identifies reciprocity as a fundamental human drive. When someone gives us something, we feel compelled to give back.
Strategic application: Make small, low-cost concessions early. The other party will feel compelled to reciprocate with concessions of greater value to them than cost to you.
Example: In a vendor negotiation, offer to extend payment terms from 30 to 45 days (low cost to you, high value to vendor). The vendor reciprocates by offering a 5% volume discount (high value to you, lower cost to them).
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5. Game Theory Essentials for Negotiators
5.1 The Prisoner's Dilemma
Two parties must choose between cooperation and defection. If both cooperate, both benefit moderately. If both defect, both suffer. If one defects while the other cooperates, the defector wins big and the cooperator loses big.
Business application: In long-term supplier relationships, both parties benefit from cooperation (information sharing, joint cost reduction). But each party is tempted to defect (exploit the other's transparency for one-sided gain). Repeated games change the calculus — when parties expect to interact again, cooperation becomes rational.
5.2 Nash Equilibrium
A situation where neither party can improve their outcome by changing their strategy unilaterally. In negotiation, the Nash Equilibrium is often the settlement point — neither party has an incentive to deviate.
Practical insight: Understanding Nash Equilibrium helps negotiators identify stable solutions. If a proposed agreement leaves one party with an incentive to deviate (e.g., a price so low the supplier will cut quality), the agreement is unstable.
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6. Real Business Examples
Construction
A general contractor is negotiating with a specialty subcontractor for MEP installation on a hospital project. The subcontractor's price is 15% above budget. Instead of demanding a price reduction (distributive), the contractor explores integrative options: extending the subcontract period to include the maintenance phase (additional revenue for the subcontractor), consolidating purchasing to achieve volume discounts on materials, and adjusting the sequence to reduce the subcontractor's mobilisation costs. The final agreement reduces the installation price by 8% while increasing the subcontractor's total contract value by 20%.
Software
A SaaS company is negotiating an enterprise contract with a healthcare provider. The provider wants a 40% discount. Instead of negotiating on price alone, the SaaS company offers a smaller discount (15%) in exchange for a case study, reference calls, and participation in a beta programme for new features. The healthcare provider gains influence over the product roadmap; the SaaS company gains marketing assets worth more than the additional discount.
Healthcare
A hospital system is negotiating with an insurance provider over reimbursement rates. The hospital demands a 12% increase; the insurer offers 3%. By introducing multiple issues (quality bonuses, shared savings from care coordination, streamlined prior authorisation), they reach an agreement that gives the hospital a 7% base increase plus up to 4% in quality-based bonuses — achieving the hospital's target while giving the insurer cost predictability and quality incentives.
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7. Case Study: The Telecom Infrastructure Dispute
Situation
A regional telecom operator (TelcoA) contracted a construction firm (BuildCorp) to install 200 cell tower sites across three provinces. The contract was fixed-price at $40M with a 12-month completion deadline. Six months into the project, BuildCorp encountered unforeseen ground conditions at 35 sites requiring specialised foundations, increasing costs by an estimated $6M.
Problem
BuildCorp submitted a $6M variation claim. TelcoA rejected it, citing the contract's "unforeseen conditions" clause which they interpreted as covering only geological conditions, not the soil contamination discovered. The relationship deteriorated rapidly — BuildCorp threatened to suspend work, and TelcoA threatened liquidated damages of $50K per day for delay.
Negotiation Strategy
BuildCorp's negotiation team, trained in principled negotiation, took a different approach:
Separated people from problem: They acknowledged TelcoA's budget pressure without attacking the project manager's decision..
Focused on interests: TelcoA's interest was network coverage by the deadline (revenue depended on it). BuildCorp's interest was fair compensation for legitimate additional work..
Generated options: Instead of the binary "pay $6M or we stop," they proposed.
- Phase 1: Complete the 165 unaffected sites on schedule (preserving TelcoA's revenue)- Phase 2: Negotiate the 35 affected sites separately with independent geotechnical assessment
- Phase 3: Explore value engineering to reduce foundation costs
Used objective criteria: They commissioned an independent geotechnical report and referenced industry-standard foundation cost data..
Mistakes
BuildCorp's initial mistake: Filing the claim as a lump-sum $6M without detailed breakdown, making it easy for TelcoA to dismiss as inflated., and TelcoA's mistake: Interpreting the contract clause narrowly without consulting their own legal team, then threatening LDs before understanding the situation..
Outcome
165 sites completed on schedule, Independent assessment confirmed $4.2M in legitimate additional costs, Value engineering reduced the final cost to $3.8M, BuildCorp received $3.8M plus a 30-day extension for the affected sites, and Both parties signed a revised contract for future phases with clearer ground condition provisions.
Lessons Learned
Decouple issues: Separating the unaffected sites from the disputed sites preserved the relationship and cash flow., Independent assessment: Using objective criteria shifted the discussion from opinions to facts., Value engineering: Offering cost reduction alternatives demonstrated good faith and reduced the financial gap., and Contract clarity: The dispute revealed ambiguous contract language that was corrected for future contracts..
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8. Frameworks Summary
BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)
Your BATNA is what you will do if no agreement is reached. It is your walk-away power.
Strong BATNA: "If we don't reach agreement, we have two other suppliers ready to go at similar pricing.", and Weak BATNA: "If we don't reach agreement, we have no alternative supplier and production stops.".
Key insight: Never enter a negotiation without knowing your BATNA. Improve it before negotiating if possible.
ZOPA (Zone of Possible Agreement)
The overlap between your reservation price and the other party's reservation price.
Seller's Reservation Price: $800
Buyer's Reservation Price: $1,200
ZOPA: $800 — $1,200
If no overlap exists, no agreement is possible without changing the negotiation scope.
WATNA (Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)
The worst outcome if negotiations fail. Understanding your WATNA helps you assess whether a bad deal is better than no deal.
Reservation Price
The specific point at which you will walk away. Your reservation price should be derived from your BATNA, not from arbitrary targets.
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9. Practical Tools
Negotiation Preparation Checklist
[ ] What do I want? (Specific, measurable), [ ] What is my BATNA?, [ ] What is my WATNA?, [ ] What is my reservation price?, [ ] What does the other party likely want?, [ ] What is their likely BATNA?, [ ] What are their interests (not positions)?, [ ] What objective criteria can I reference?, [ ] What concessions can I make? (List in order of cost), [ ] What concessions do I want? (List in order of value), [ ] What is my opening offer?, [ ] What is my target price?, [ ] Who is on my team? What are their roles?, and [ ] What is the agenda?.
Negotiation Planning Worksheet
NEGOTIATION PLANNING WORKSHEET
Date: ___________ Counterparty: ___________
MY POSITION.
Target outcome: ________________________
Opening offer: _________________________
Reservation price: ______________________
MY BATNA.
Alternative if no deal: _________________
Quality of BATNA (1-10): _______________
Can I improve BATNA before meeting? Y/N
THEIR POSITION (ESTIMATED).
Likely target: _________________________
Likely opening: ________________________
Likely reservation price: _______________
THEIR BATNA (ESTIMATED).
Their alternative: ______________________
Quality of their BATNA (1-10): __________
ZOPA ANALYSIS.
Overlap exists? Y/N
Range: _______ to _______
KEY INTERESTS.
Mine: _________________________________
Theirs: ________________________________
OBJECTIVE CRITERIA.
Standards to reference: _________________
CONCESSION PLAN.
1. _______________ (cost: low/med/high)
2. _______________ (cost: low/med/high)
3. _______________ (cost: low/med/high)
TEAM ROLES.
Lead: ___________ Technical: ___________
Notes: ___________ Observer: ___________
Red Flag List
Watch for these warning signs during negotiation:
The other party refuses to explain their pricing or position, Time pressure is applied without contractual basis, The other party's story changes between meetings, "Take it or leave it" before substantive discussion, Reluctance to put agreements in writing, New decision-makers appear mid-negotiation, The other party negotiates against a "phantom" alternative, Concessions are demanded without reciprocity, Personal attacks replace substantive discussion, and The other party uses "good cop / bad cop" without disclosure.
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10. Common Mistakes (And How Experts Avoid Them)
Mistake 1: Failing to Prepare
Why it occurs: Professionals are busy. They assume experience compensates for preparation.
How experts avoid it: They treat preparation as non-negotiable. The 80/20 rule applies — 80% of outcomes are determined by preparation. They block calendar time for preparation and use a structured checklist.
Mistake 2: Revealing Your BATNA
Why it occurs: In an effort to be transparent, negotiators reveal their fallback position, eliminating their leverage.
How experts avoid it: They never volunteer their BATNA. If asked directly, they redirect: "We're focused on reaching a good agreement here. Let's talk about how we can make that happen."
Mistake 3: Anchoring Against Yourself
Why it occurs: Negotiators underestimate their own value and open with a conservative offer.
How experts avoid it: They research market data and anchor with credible, well-justified positions. They understand that the opening anchor sets the negotiation range.
Mistake 4: Negotiating Against Yourself
Why it occurs: After making an offer, the negotiator immediately qualifies or reduces it before the other party responds.
How experts avoid it: They make their offer and then stay silent. Silence is a powerful tool — the other party feels compelled to fill it, often revealing information or making concessions.
Mistake 5: Focusing on Positions Instead of Interests
Why it occurs: Positions are visible; interests are hidden. It takes effort and skill to uncover interests.
How experts avoid it: They ask "Why?" repeatedly. They use calibrated questions: "What is driving that requirement?" "What would make this work for your team?"
Mistake 6: Ignoring the Other Party's Constraints
Why it occurs: Negotiators focus on their own needs and assume the other party has unlimited flexibility.
How experts avoid it: They explicitly ask about constraints: "What limitations are you working within?" "Who else needs to approve this?" Understanding constraints allows you to design solutions that work within them.
Mistake 7: Underestimating Emotion
Why it occurs: Business professionals are trained to be rational. They assume the other party is equally rational.
How experts avoid it: They recognise that emotion drives decisions, then rationalisation follows. They use tactical empathy, label emotions, and manage their own emotional state.
Mistake 8: Conceding Without Getting Anything in Return
Why it occurs: Negotiators want to be seen as reasonable. They make unilateral concessions hoping the other party will reciprocate.
How experts avoid it: They always use conditional language: "If you can do X, then I can do Y." No concession is made without a corresponding gain.
Mistake 9: Neglecting the Implementation Phase
Why it occurs: Negotiators focus on reaching agreement and forget that the agreement must be implemented.
How experts avoid it: They negotiate implementation terms during the deal: timelines, responsibilities, review points, dispute mechanisms. A deal that cannot be implemented is worse than no deal.
Mistake 10: Failing to Document Agreements Immediately
Why it occurs: Both parties are relieved to have reached agreement and want to move on. They'll "send the paperwork later."
How experts avoid it: They draft a term sheet or memorandum of understanding before leaving the room. Memory is unreliable; written records prevent future disputes.
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11. Advanced Expert Tips
Psychological Leverage Through Information Asymmetry
The party with better information negotiates better. Experts invest in research before negotiation: market data, competitor pricing, the other party's financial situation, recent deals, and industry trends. They never enter a negotiation where the other party knows more than they do — if they cannot close the information gap, they adjust their strategy accordingly.
The Strategic Use of Silence
After making an offer or asking a question, stay silent. Most people are uncomfortable with silence and will speak to fill it — often revealing information or making concessions. Chris Voss recommends counting to three in your head after the other party finishes speaking before you respond.
Timing and Cognitive Load
Negotiations are cognitively demanding. Expert negotiators schedule complex discussions for morning hours when cognitive resources are highest. They avoid late-afternoon negotiations when decision fatigue sets in. They also recognise that the other party's cognitive load affects their receptiveness — if the other party is under deadline pressure, they may make concessions they would not otherwise make (but be careful: concessions extracted under fatigue often lead to renegotiation later).
Multi-Party Negotiation Dynamics
In multi-party negotiations (e.g., a joint venture with three partners), the dynamics shift fundamentally. Coalitions form, blocking vetoes emerge, and the negotiation becomes a game of alliances. Experts map all parties' interests and BATNAs before the first meeting, identify potential coalitions, and design proposals that give each party enough to prevent blocking.
Executive Negotiation
When negotiating with C-suite executives, experts understand that:
Executives delegate details but make strategic decisions, Time is their most scarce resource — be concise, They care about risk, reputation, and strategic alignment, They rarely negotiate price directly — they negotiate value, and They respond to peer benchmarks and competitive intelligence.
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Key Takeaways
Preparation is 80% of negotiation success. Use structured frameworks and checklists., Separate people from problems. Attack issues, not individuals., Focus on interests, not positions. The gap between them is where value is created., Develop your BATNA before negotiating. Your walk-away power determines your negotiation power., Use objective criteria. Shift discussions from opinions to facts., Master emotional intelligence. Emotion drives decisions; rationalisation follows., Anchor strategically. The first credible number sets the negotiation range., Never concede without reciprocity. Always use "if...then" conditional language., Document agreements immediately. Memory is unreliable; written records prevent disputes., and Frame proposals in terms of loss avoidance. Losses feel twice as intense as equivalent gains..
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FAQ
1. What is the difference between distributive and integrative negotiation?
Distributive negotiation involves a single issue (typically price) where one party's gain is the other's loss — a fixed pie being divided. Integrative negotiation involves multiple issues where both parties can gain through creative problem-solving — expanding the pie before dividing it. Most real-world negotiations are mixed, containing both distributive and integrative elements.
2. How do I discover the other party's interests?
Ask "Why?" repeatedly until you reach the underlying need. Use calibrated questions: "What is driving that requirement?" "What would make this proposal work for you?" Listen for emotional language, repeated themes, and non-negotiable items — these reveal core interests. Also, share your own interests to model reciprocity.
3. What is BATNA and why is it important?
BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) is your fallback position if negotiations fail. It determines your walk-away power. A strong BATNA gives you confidence and leverage; a weak BATNA makes you desperate. Never enter a negotiation without knowing your BATNA, and improve it before negotiating if possible.
4. How do I handle a negotiator who uses aggressive tactics?
Stay calm and do not reciprocate aggression. Use tactical empathy: "It seems like you're under significant pressure to close this deal." Reframe attacks as issues: "Let's focus on the problem rather than personalities." If aggression persists, take a break or consider escalating to their superior. Document the behaviour for your records.
5. Should I make the first offer or let the other party go first?
Research generally favours making the first offer when you have good market information, because it allows you to anchor the negotiation. However, if you lack information about the other party's reservation price, letting them go first can reveal valuable information. The key is that your anchor (if you make one) must be credible — supported by data, not arbitrary.
6. How do I negotiate when I have a weak BATNA?
Improve your BATNA before negotiating by developing alternatives (other suppliers, other clients, other solutions). If you cannot improve it, avoid revealing its weakness. Focus on creating value through integrative negotiation — multiple issues give you more trading opportunities. Use objective criteria to support your position rather than relying on leverage.
7. What is the role of emotion in negotiation?
Emotion drives decisions; rationalisation follows. Neuroscience shows that emotional responses occur before rational processing. Expert negotiators manage their own emotions through preparation, breaks, and self-awareness. They manage the other party's emotions through tactical empathy, labeling, and calibrated questions. They never make decisions while emotionally activated.
8. How do I avoid anchoring bias?
When the other party anchors first with an extreme number, explicitly reject it: "That number is not a credible basis for discussion." Then counter-anchor with your own well-justified number. Use objective criteria to reframe the discussion. Be aware that anchoring affects everyone — even when you know about the bias, it still influences your perception.
9. What is the difference between negotiation and mediation?
Negotiation is direct discussion between parties to reach agreement. Mediation involves a neutral third party (the mediator) who facilitates discussion but does not impose a decision. Mediation is used when direct negotiation has reached impasse. The mediator helps parties communicate, explore interests, and find creative solutions.
10. How do I negotiate virtually or remotely?
Prepare more thoroughly for virtual negotiations because you lose body language cues. Use video (not just audio) to maintain visual connection. Minimise distractions. Use screen sharing for documents. Send materials in advance. Take more frequent breaks — virtual negotiation is more fatiguing than in-person. Confirm agreements in writing immediately after the call.
11. What should I do if the other party lies during negotiation?
Verify claims independently. Ask for supporting documentation. Ask calibrated questions that are difficult to answer deceptively: "How did you arrive at that number?" If you catch a lie, do not accuse directly — instead, present the contradictory evidence and ask for explanation. If deception is confirmed and material, consider whether the relationship is worth continuing.
12. How do I negotiate with someone who has more power than me?
Focus on objective criteria rather than leverage. Use principled negotiation: "I understand you have alternatives, but let's look at what the data shows." Build coalitions with other stakeholders who share your interests. Create value through integrative options that make the deal attractive regardless of power imbalance. Improve your BATNA to increase your walk-away power.
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References
Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (3rd ed.). Penguin Books., Voss, C. (2016). Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. Harper Business., Shell, G. R. (2018). Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People (3rd ed.). Penguin Books., Stone, D., Patton, B., & Heen, S. (2010). Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most. Penguin Books., Raiffa, H. (1982). The Art and Science of Negotiation. Harvard University Press., Schneider, A. K., & Honeyman, C. (Eds.) (2006). The Negotiator's Fieldbook. American Bar Association., Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux., Cialdini, R. B. (2016). Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade. Simon & Schuster., Ury, W. (2007). The Power of a Positive No. Bantam Books., and Diamond, S. (2010). Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life. Crown Business..