Section One

Playing the Power Negotiating Game

You play Power Negotiating by a set of rules, just like the game of chess. The big difference between negotiating and chess is that, in negotiating, the other person doesn’t have to know the rules. The other person will respond predictably to the moves that you make. Not because of metaphysical magic, but because thousands of my students have told me their negotiating experience over the years, and from this feedback we know how the other person will react to any Power Negotiating move you make. Not every time of course, but the likelihood is so high that we now know that negotiating is more of a science than an art.

If you play chess, you know that the strategic moves of the game are called gambits. When I tell you about negotiating gambits, I’m talking about a strategic move that involves some risk. I’ll teach you how to select the appropriate gambit. Your skill in selecting the right gambit and using it at the right time will minimize the risk. Beginning Gambits get the game started in your direction. Middle Gambits keep the game moving in your direction. You use Ending Gambits when you get ready to checkmate the other person or, in sales parlance, close the sale.

In the first section of this book, I’ll teach you the Gambits of Power Negotiating. You’ll learn the Beginning Gambits, the things that you do in the early stages of your contact with the other person, to be sure that you’re setting the stage for a successful conclusion. As the negotiation progresses you’ll find that every advance will depend on the atmosphere that you create in the early stages. You should determine the demands that you make and the attitude you present with a carefully made plan that encompasses all elements of the negotiation. Your Opening Gambits will win or lose the game for you. You must base their use on a careful evaluation of the other person, the market, and the other side’s company.

Next, I’ll teach you the Middle Gambits that keep the momentum going in your favor. During this phase, different things come into play. The moves made by each side create currents that swirl around the participants and push them in different directions. You’ll learn how to respond to these pressures and continue to master the game.

Finally, I’ll teach you Unethical Gambits, Negotiating Principles, and the Ending Gambits that conclude the negotiation with your getting what you want, and with the other person still feeling that he or she won. The last few moments can make all the difference. Just as in a horse race, there’s only one point in the contest that counts and that’s the finish line. As a Power Negotiator, you’ll learn how to smoothly control the process right down to the wire. So let’s get started learning the Gambits of Power Negotiating.