Customer Reviews

Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People 2nd Edition

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are two basic styles or strategies in negotiation literature: advantage seeking and joint gain finding. The best work on joint gain is the seminal work by Roger Fisher, Getting to Yes. The best work on advantage seeking is the work of Chester Karrass who extols high aspiration and concession management. The great thing about this book is that it is simultaneously the second best book in two very different paradigms. This is the best work on the topic of the information parties exchange as part of the negotiation process. That is why this is such an insightful work and worth every penny spent to buy it and hour it takes to read it Five stars and there are only four books in this entire niche subject that deserve that rating. Since I teach this stuff I read or at least skim scores of negotiation books. Many are thoroughly second rate. Reading a really good book on a subject you care about makes you want to write a review for Amazon. See.

This book gives some very important understanding of negotiation to people who are not professional negotiators and do not know all the ins and outs of the current research in the field.

1. It talks about the differences in the negotiation style and how those differences affect the negotiation process.
2. It talks about what and how to set your goals in a negotiation.
3. It talks about whats and hows of using the various standards in making your case during the negotiation.
4. It discusses leverage and how it changes over time during the negotiation.
5. It discusses relationships that may or may not exist among the people in negotiation and how that affects negotiations.
6. It discusses different strategies from opening to closing the deal
7. It talks about creativity that can go into the deal that would make the pie bigger (as opposed to just dividing the pie).
8. It discusses ethics at length at the end of the book.

This book even has a template for preparation for negotiation that you can use as a way of thinking and doing research before you begin your negotiation. Each chapter also has a summary that is useful as a list of criteria for formulating your negotiation strategy.

I think that at the price I paid for the book, it was definitelly a bargain. If you are looking into becoming a better negotiator, this book is for you.

This is one of those books I wish I'd read years ago. It was recommended to my colleagues and I during a negotiating workshop I scheduled for the managers at the professional association I manage. "Bargaining for Advantage" is clear, informative and entertaining--what more could you want? After 24 years as an Association Executive and ten as a state senator, I think of myself as an experienced negotiator. And I learned a ton from this book. It will be valuable for everyone, as we are all frequently called upon to negotiate. But for people managing a business, non-profit, agency or even a military organization, it's a pearl. Best business book I've read this year.

Robert A. Hall, CAE
Author of "The Good Bits."

I love when this happens. I'm a logical guy, but some skills always seem like more of a black magic or personality trait or art rather than science. I used to think people who were good at things like sales, marketing/advertising, and negotiating (among others) were just good at it. They had a natural ability that was hard to explain.

Well, after reading this book, I no longer feel that way about negotiating. I actually enjoy it, now. There is a science to it. You can clearly see when one party or the other has more to lose, how to reduce that, increase your leverage, find points to give in on and how to clearly point out what your hoping to achieve. It's really cool!

I feel like I have much more insight into any negotiation that I'm part of and will truly benefit in many ways - financially and emotionally. I no longer feel like I was taken advantage of or got away with something, instead feel as though the negotiation went well and I achieved my goals.

A really great book - especially for those that like to figure out the hidden science behind the art.

To many of us the term 'Negotiation' is an abstract word. Prof. Shell converts it to a concrete term with all the steps involved to accomplish the results one desires. Reading the book will give you the information you need -- practicing the steps will give you the skills needed to get what you deserve at the bargaining table. Remember, "We don't get out of life what we deserve, rather what we negotiate."

As a long time mediator I've read many books on the subject of negotiating. I found Bargaining for Advantage so informative I bought copies for my grown children. Shell brings science into the "art" of negotiating and makes sense of an often mysterious subject. My two daughters especially enjoyed the discussion of women and wages and why women may earn less than men - because they don't ask for more! If there are two or more people in a room, then there likely is negotiating taking place, at one level or another. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

This is an outstanding book on negotiation and influence. I have read over two dozen books on similar subjects and I keep going back to this one.

This is the play book to use at the negotiating table. It's fast and easy reading. It will definitely give you a distinct advantage. It will give you the tools and strategies to help you get MORE of what you want while simultaneously showing the other side they got more than they wanted. This eliminates one side feeling they got short changed. Go for the heart not the throat. If you really want to raise the bar take his course at Wharton, like I did. Then you will really have the edge..

PS I have been buying this book for friends and clients since I took the course

I found myself dozing off to sleep sometimes just trying to get past some of the "duh" moments in this book. Perhaps only for newbie b-schoolers or those getting a start in a career where heavy negotiating is key will this book really be a benefit. Otherwise, the best parts were the self-assessment to determine your personal negotiation style, and the chapter about "leverage." Recommended for those who may not have had very much business or sales experience, or experience particularly in a global forum where dealing with international company execs is uncommon.

As a small business owner I often find myself in the previously uncomfortable position of having to negotiate for my business advantage. Before reading this book, my own negotiation "rules" could be summed up with the following beliefs: "If I am reasonable in my requests, I should not have to negotiate, only approve or disapprove deals" and "I will ask for what I want and need, and they can take it or leave it" and the typical belief "everyone is out to screw you over, be careful". This book took the mystery and bravado out of the negotiation process, arming me with "rules" that actually civilized the process for me, I feel confident that can handle typical negotiation situations in the future with a level of success that I have never achieved in the past. I cringe at the lost opportunities, missed because of my own missteps from the very begining of the process using my old negotiation belief system. This book is not simply common sense, it is a door opener.