Coaching practices for How to Negotiate Better

Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For How to Negotiate Better, 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 closed and fine, but I keep negotiating in the dark
• There are several things on the table here, and some matter way more to me than others
• The second they push back I either cave completely or harden into all-or-nothing, because I walked in without ever deciding what I could actually live with
• 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
• 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

Practices that may help

1. 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
2. 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
3. Negotiate: know your minimum and be willing to give and take
   Decide in advance what you are willing to accept short of your full ask, and be ready to offer something in exchange.
   DEAR MAN: DBT’s Skill for Asking for What You Want Effectively
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. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. Know your BATNA
   Your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement is the source of your real leverage.
   Getting to Yes: Principled Negotiation
9. 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
10. 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

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