Making Negotiations Predictable: What Science Tells Us

Negotiation is an everyday activity that everyone, knowingly or unknowingly, engages in. The impact of negotiating can be very significant for revenues and profitability of organizations and individuals. It is also an important determinant of the sustainability of any kind of relationship. Therefore it is important to be an effective negotiator and everybody has the potential to be one. This book will provide crucial insights into how you can become a great negotiator, by discussing the science and psychology of negotiation techniques. It is a given that many of our negotiations do not always turn out the way we expect. Although for many of us, negotiations are best approached by employing rational procedures, real life shows us the need to understand seemingly irrational behaviours that result in suboptimal outcomes. Most negotiators remain blind to what really motivates them and the other parties in the negotiation. Why? We discuss the biases that prevent us from achieving this understanding. By understanding the psychology of negotiators and the negotiation process, we can make negotiations more predictable and profitable.

Table of Contents:
PART I: INTRODUCTION The Myth of the Rational Negotiator What this Book is About PART II: NEGOTIATION BASICS: STRUCTURE AND PROCESS Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement The Bottom Line Zone of Possible Agreement Distributive and Integrative Negotiations Try to Understand the Needs of the Other Party The Negotiator as a Detective But, Their Problems Are Not Your Problems How Do You Want to Come Across Don't be Afraid to Ask Why a Deadline is Often not a Deadline PART III: COGNITIVE ERRORS OF NEGOTIATORS What I Remember is Important - Isn't It? People Tend to Underestimate the Probability of All Other Problems Valuing What We Have More Than We Should Overconfidence Escalation 'Will you or should I?' The Importance of Anchors The Myth of the 'Fixed Pie' Impatience! PART IV: EMOTIONS AND INTUITION To be Angry, or not to be Angry? Intrapersonal Effects Interpersonal Effects If Emotions have Nothing to do with the Negotiations When Intuition Takes Over: System 1 vs. System 2 Thinking PART V: THE IMPACT OF FRAMING ON NEGOTIATIONS Social Frames Negotiating Gains and Losses Concrete Versus Abstract Thought Social Pressure! Where do we Negotiate? If Representatives are Doing the Negotiations PART VI: TRUST AND DISTRUST Giving Trust Creates Trust Repairing Trust The Value of an Apology Compensating People for Financial Losses PART VII: POWER Power and Your Understanding of the Other Party Power and Freedom of Movement Power can Make you Blind Acquiring Other People's Power: Asking for Favours Promises and Threats PART VIII: FAIRNESS Multiple Legitimate Criteria to Determine Fairness in Negotiations Ego-centric Interpretations of Fairness in Negotiations Belief that One is Fair Leads to Inflexibility in Negotiations What Would We Recommend? PART IX: 'MOVING FORWARD TO AN AGREEMENT - SURVEY'