Customer Reviews

Fearless Negotiating: The Wish, Want, Walk Method to Reaching Agreements That Work

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Fearless Negotiating by Michael Donaldson is a fairly one-dimensional book on the topic of negotiating and may have very little practical benefits to those in the business world that buy and sell for a living. As a seasoned negotiator, I recognize the "Wish-Want-Walk" method as nothing more than a negotaitor's Opening Position, Goal, and Bottom Line -- what is commonly know as the negotiation bracket. While I agree that defining one's wish-want-walk is critical to the success of any negotiation, this single aspect is over dramatized at the expense of many other crticial strategies and tactics that are critical to achieving success when negotiating.

Fearless Negotiating will help you in all aspects of your business and even your relationships. In my line of work, filmmaking and distribution, I've found the easy-to-apply Wish-Want-Walk method to be perfect for everything from dealing with networks and distributors to hiring a cameraperson. I had no idea that negotiating skills and strategies could be applied across the board like this. I'm grateful to be able to have this disarmingly simple but profound Wish-Want-Walk approach to use from now on. I had the pleasure of attending an afternoon seminar with author Michael Donaldson a few weeks ago and found him to be a gentle master of negotiating and a terrific teacher. This book is highly recommended for anyone who has to find a point of agreement with another human being -- so, basically everyone!

Having read several books on negotiating I was disappointed in Donaldson's book. It feels ghost written and assembled for airport business book sections. As a negotiator it is helpful to glean a few useful techniques from book on the subject. In this book there was nothing that caught the attention.

The three part Wish - Want - Walk advice that dominates the book is a helpful three step device, but there is much more to the discpline than is presented here. Many other elements of negotiation, from tactics to goal closing are skimmed over.

I read this on the plane from Florida to Oregon. It's entertaining as well as insightful. I learned that all negotiations can have win/win results with this simple 3 step method!! I LOVED IT!!!

The wish/want/walk method is a simple but profoundly powerful approach to negotiating and Michael makes it easy to understand and use. What I particularly like is his easy style and lively examples which bring his points alive. this book is gimmick-free and essential for all business and personal dealings.

A very effective read - gets straight to the point in language you can understand and helps you handle those yucky feelings about asking for what you secretly wish for and making sure you get AT LEAST what you want. Smart too. Not like other books on the subject that turn into monologues about "how great a negotiator I am", Mr. Donaldson seems to really want to help the reader. Thank you.

I also read Donaldson's new book in one sitting, a testiment to his great communication skills. I don't know what it is about the way he delivers his message--it likely has something to do with being an ex-Marine, an ex-competitive gymnist, and now one of Hollywood's best attorneys--but I don't care why. It works. I have used this approach in my personal business dealings, and it works. But just as important, I have use his approach as a RATIONAL WAY to think about other things in life that require negotiation--negotiation with others (over conflicting goals) and negotiation with myself (over conflicting objestives.) It works.

I read this on a flight from NY to LA and found it entertaining and filled with excellent tools for negotiating. I have used his Wish-Want-Walk Method at the office and even at home with solid results. It applies to all kinds of issues. Highly recommend.

I have always thought that negotiating is one of the most dreadful and challenging things in business. I had the preconceived notion that negotiating effectively requires a tough stance and a Type-A personality in order to outsmart your opponent. On top of that, there was always the feeling that I could have gotten a better deal if I had pushed "just a little bit more".

But then, I came across this jewel of a book, titled "Fearless Negotiating" by Michael C. Donaldson and my framework of reference for negotiating deals changed forever.

Written in simple prose and with a very personal (and even spiritual) style, Fearless Negotiating walks you through a simple, yet extremely powerful, framework he calls the "Wish-Want-Walk" method for negotiating deals. In essence, you have to define those three dimensions for each and every item you want to negotiate and then stick to them when negotiating (you always start with your Wish, of course). I would be shortchanging the book if I told you that's about it. Among other valuable insights, Michael encourages you to involve all the parties that will be affected by the negotiation, as well as "doing your homework" (including finding out as much as you can about the other person) prior to defining your Wish-Want-Walk exercise.

When you do this, something remarkable will happen, you will not only become more confident and calmer in your negotiations, but you will also "listen" more closely to what the other party wants and you will be able to either negotiate the best possible deal (or walk away knowing that you did the right thing).

You should definitely read this great book. It will give you the tools and confidence to negotiate better, more honest deals. It will also inspire you to become a better person in the process. At 190 pages, you should be able to read it in less than one week (and reap the benefits as soon as you start reading it).

One of my favorite quotes in the book:

"The most advanced communication technology of this high-tech era: two chairs, two people, a lot of time"

Michael Donaldson provides a clear, concise, and understandable pathway through the complex labyrinth known as "negotiating." He calls his method "wish, want, walk" and throughout the book he brings his points back to that simple three-word concept. Interspersed among the chapters are pithy statements that go beyond traditional business advice, and elevate this to a book about how to improve negotiations in all aspects of your life. Definitely worth reading - several times!