Coaching practices for How to Assess Negotiation Leverage

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

• 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
• The deal is closed and fine, but I keep negotiating in the dark
• They’re acting like they can take it or leave it and it’s making me cave
• When I negotiate I jump straight to my offer and try to claim my slice, and I suspect I’m leaving value on the table
• There are several things on the table here, and some matter way more to me than others

Practices that may help

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. Expand the pie before you divide it
   In negotiations, surface what the other side actually values most before claiming your share.
   Give and Take: The Giver Advantage
5. 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
6. Make multiple equivalent simultaneous offers (MESOs)
   Propose several package deals of equal value to you — see which the other side prefers.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
7. Know your BATNA
   Your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement is the source of your real leverage.
   Getting to Yes: Principled Negotiation
8. 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
9. Use the Ackerman bid sequence: 65%–85%–95%–100% of target
   Make four calculated offers that converge on your target with shrinking steps — each concession signals you are approaching your limit.
   The Ackerman Method, Made Practical
10. Trade across differing priorities
    Give on what you value less to get what you value more — and have them do the same.
    Win-Win Thinking: Expanding the Pie

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