Coaching practices for Bet on the Future Negotiation

Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Bet on the Future Negotiation, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.

Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?

• The deal is stuck because they swear the numbers will hit and I’m sure they won’t, and neither of us will budge on our forecast
• We’re deadlocked because they’re certain the numbers will land one way and I’m just as certain they won’t
• The whole thing has collapsed down to one number and we’re just staring each other down over price, so whatever I gain they lose
• 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 deal is closed and fine, but I keep negotiating in the dark

Practices that may help

1. Bridge disagreements with contingent terms
   When you disagree about the future, bet on it — tie terms to what actually happens.
   Win-Win Thinking: Expanding the Pie
2. Write contingent contracts when forecasts disagree
   If you and the other side have different predictions, let the outcome decide who was right.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
3. Add issues to expand the pie
   Bring more variables in — timing, scope, future work — so there’s more to trade.
   Win-Win Thinking: Expanding the Pie
4. 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
5. 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
6. Invent options for mutual gain before selecting
   Generate multiple creative options without commitment before evaluating any — the solution space is usually larger than the initial positions suggest.
   Principled Negotiation, Made Practical
7. Map the ZOPA before negotiating
   Know your walk-away point and estimate theirs before the first offer is made.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
8. Logroll by trading issues of unequal importance
   Concede on what matters less to you in exchange for gains on what matters more.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
9. Use a post-settlement settlement to improve a deal after agreement
   Once you have a deal, offer to keep exploring whether a better one exists for both sides.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
10. 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

Describe your situation in your own words to search the complete practice library.