Coaching practices for Batna Negotiation
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Batna Negotiation, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- I’ve got this conversation coming up and I’m dreading it because I genuinely don’t know what I’d do if they say no
- We’ve just shaken hands on something we both accepted, but I have this nagging sense the deal isn’t as good as it could be for either of us
- I’ve got time before this conversation actually happens, and right now my only real option is the one I’m about to ask for
- The offer in front of me is below what I swore I’d accept, and I can feel myself reaching for a reason to say yes anyway
- Going into this negotiation I have no real read on how much the other side actually needs the deal versus how easily they could walk
Practices that may help
- BATNA: Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement
BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), developed by Fisher, Ury, and Patton in Getting to Yes, is what you will do if this negotiation fails completely. It is the only rational basis for your walk-away point. A strong BATNA gives you genuine power because you can credibly walk away; a weak BATNA means any deal is better than your alternative, and a skilled counterpart will sense and exploit that. - Identify your real BATNA before negotiations begin
Clarify exactly what you will do if no deal is reached — and whether that alternative is as good as you assume.
BATNA: Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement - Propose a post-settlement settlement to optimize an agreed deal
After reaching a deal, offer to see if you can both do better — many agreements leave joint value on the table.
ZOPA: The Zone of Possible Agreement - Improve your BATNA before you negotiate
The best time to strengthen your walk-away position is before the negotiation starts, not during it.
BATNA: Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement - Walk away cleanly when the deal falls below your reservation price
Saying no to a bad deal — and meaning it — is the practice that gives all the others their teeth.
BATNA: Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement - Ask what happens if there is no deal
Surface the other side’s BATNA by asking what they do if this does not work out.
Calibrated Questions, Made Practical - Decide strategically whether to reveal your BATNA
A strong BATNA is worth revealing; a weak one is better concealed while you work on improving it.
BATNA: Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement - Estimate your counterpart’s BATNA
Understanding what the other side will do if there’s no deal tells you where their pressure is — and how much room you have.
BATNA: Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement - Calculate your reservation price directly from your BATNA
Your walk-away point should be derived from your BATNA — not from your aspiration or your fear.
BATNA: Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement - Run a negotiation debrief to learn what value was left on the table
After closing, compare priorities with the other side to see the trades you both missed.
Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
Related concerns
- Improve Batna Before Negotiating
The best time to strengthen your walk-away position is before the negotiation starts, not during it.
Improve your BATNA before you negotiate
- When To Reveal Batna
A strong BATNA is worth revealing; a weak one is better concealed while you work on improving it.
Decide strategically whether to reveal your BATNA
- Batna Question
BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), developed by Fisher, Ury, and Patton in Getting to Yes, is what you will do if this negotiation fails completely. It is the only rational basis for your walk-away point. A strong BATNA gives you genuine power because you can credibly walk away; a weak BATNA means any deal is better than your alternative, and a skilled counterpart will sense and exploit that.
- Batna Your Best Alternative To A Negotiated Agreement At Work
BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), developed by Fisher, Ury, and Patton in Getting to Yes, is what you will do if this negotiation fails completely. It is the only rational basis for your walk-away point. A strong BATNA gives you genuine power because you can credibly walk away; a weak BATNA means any deal is better than your alternative, and a skilled counterpart will sense and exploit that.
- Batna Your Best Alternative To A Negotiated Agreement Before Bed
BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), developed by Fisher, Ury, and Patton in Getting to Yes, is what you will do if this negotiation fails completely. It is the only rational basis for your walk-away point. A strong BATNA gives you genuine power because you can credibly walk away; a weak BATNA means any deal is better than your alternative, and a skilled counterpart will sense and exploit that.
- Batna Your Best Alternative To A Negotiated Agreement During A Big Change
BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), developed by Fisher, Ury, and Patton in Getting to Yes, is what you will do if this negotiation fails completely. It is the only rational basis for your walk-away point. A strong BATNA gives you genuine power because you can credibly walk away; a weak BATNA means any deal is better than your alternative, and a skilled counterpart will sense and exploit that.
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