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Top 10 Negotiation Skills

Being aware of the anchoring bias

The first number mentioned in a negotiation, however arbitrary, exerts a powerful influence on the negotiation that follows. 

You can avoid being the next victim of the anchoring bias by making the first offer (or offers) and trying to anchor talks in your preferred direction.


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Top 10 Negotiation Skills

Top 10 Negotiation Skills


Key Ideas



An evaluation of your BATNA is critical if you are to establish the threshold at which you will reject an offer. 

Effective negotiators determine their BATNAs before talks begin.

Negotiate the process



Building rapport



Listen actively

Resist the common urge to think about what you’re going to say next while your counterpart is talking and listen carefully to her arguments, then paraphrase what you believe she said to check your understanding. 

Acknowledge any difficult feelings, like frustration, behind the message. Not only are you likely to acquire valuable information, but the other party may mimic your exemplary listening skills.

Ask good questions

Ask lots of questions that are likely to get helpful answers. 

Avoid asking “yes or no” questions and leading questions, such as “Don’t you think that’s a great idea?” and craft neutral questions that encourage detailed responses, such as “Can you tell me about the challenges you’re facing this quarter?”

Search for smart tradeoffs

Try to identify issues that your counterpart cares deeply about that you value less. Then propose making a concession on that issue in exchange for a concession from her on an issue you value highly.

Being aware of the anchoring bias



Present multiple equivalent offers simultaneously

Rather than making one offer at a time, consider presenting several offers at once. This strategy of presenting multiple offers simultaneously decreases the odds of impasse and can promote more creative solutions.

If your counterpart rejects all of them, ask him to tell you which one he liked best and why. Then work on your own to improve the offer, or try to brainstorm with the other party an option that pleases you both. 

Contingent contract

In essence, a bet about how future events will unfold.

Works best when negociations get stuck because of disagreements on how certain scenarios will play over time.

E. g.: if you doubt a contractor’s claims that he can finish your home renovation project in 3 months, propose a contingent contract that will penalize him for late completion and/or reward him for early completion.

Plan for the implementation stage

Place milestones and deadlines in your contract to ensure that commitments are being met. 

Consider agreeing to meet at regular intervals throughout the life of the contract to check in and, if necessary, renegotiate. 

In addition, adding a dispute-resolution clause that calls for the use of mediation or arbitration if a conflict arises can be a wise move.



Whether it is a high-stakes deal, the price of a used car, or a family issue, we all are bargaining and getting into negotiations.

Negotiation is 90 % planning, along with being educated and ...

The 7 Elements

A negotiation does not have to be a uni-dimensional, one-shot activity.

There are seven points to prepare yourself with:

  1. What do people want?
  2. What is my Plan B?
  3. Creating Value using shared interests.
  4. What's relevant and what's persuasive.
  5. One-shot or multiple rounds?
  6. The best way to communicate.
  7. What are my commitments?

What People Want

Knowing the other party's needs, wants and desires, getting to know what drives their negotiation, is crucial information in the planning stage.

The more we understand the interests of the other negotiating party, the better we can help them get what they want while taking care of our interests.

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