Gain the Edge!: Negotiating to Get What You Want [Hardcover]

Martin Latz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2004

"Martin Latz’s Gain the Edge! is the best book I've ever read on negotiation strategy. If you negotiate for a living or only occasionally, Latz gives you the tools and tactics to succeed before you sit down at the table. Whether it's negotiating Randy Johnson's contract or the purchase of your next car, Gain the Edge! is clear, concise, and unfailingly useful."
--Jerry Colangelo, Chairman and CEO, Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns

There's always more to learn about negotiation. That one new strategy or tactic you gain from this book may make the difference between your walking away a winner and leaving empty-handed. The margin of difference can be infinitesimal, yet the ramifications are often huge.

Negotiating a new salary? Buying a car or a house? Closing a deal with a big client? Discussing where to vacation with your spouse? We negotiate every day. Yet most of us negotiate instinctively and don't give the process the strategic attention it deserves. We suffer as a result.

Now negotiation expert Martin E. Latz reveals an easy-to-use strategic template you can use in every negotiation. This is not ivory-tower advice, or advice just based on instincts and experience: The tactics and techniques here come from the most up-to-date research and the knowledge Latz has developed in negotiating on the White House Advance Teams, from consulting with top executives at Fortune 500 companies and law firms nationwide, and from teaching thousands of business professionals and lawyers how to negotiate more effectively.
The result is a comprehensive guide that takes you all the way from general strategies and principles--Latz's Five Golden Rules of Negotiation--to specific tips, techniques, and even phrases you can use at the table.

Gain the Edge! will arm you with:
* Practical strategies to get the information you need before you sit down at the table
* Tactics to maximize your leverage when seemingly powerless
* Secrets to success in emotionally charged negotiations
* A step-by-step system to design the most effective offer-concession strategy
* Ways to deal with different personality types, ethics, and negotiation "games"
* Specific advice on how to negotiate for your next salary, car, or house
* Negotiating tips for other business and personal matters

Leave behind instinctive negotiating and its inherent uncertainties. Learn to negotiate strategically.

Easy to understand and instantly applicable to real-life situations, Gain the Edge! is the ultimate how-to guide for anyone looking to master this critical subject.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Few seize the brass ring in business or in life without topnotch negotiation skills. Martin Latz's Gain the Edge! will empower you to achieve that kind of success. Read it. Make it your own. You'll close more deals and get more favorable terms in all your negotiations."
--Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive

"Martin Latz’s Gain the Edge! is the best book I've ever read on negotiation strategy. If you negotiate for a living or only occasionally, Latz gives you the tools and tactics to succeed before you sit down at the table. Whether it's negotiating Randy Johnson's contract or the purchase of your next car, Gain the Edge! is clear, concise, and unfailingly useful."
--Jerry Colangelo, Chairman and CEO, Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns

"Anyone who's tried to push a bill through Congress knows the importance of negotiation. In Gain the Edge! Martin Latz has condensed his enormous font of negotiating wisdom into a book that's accessible, readable, and eminently usable in politics, business, and everyday life."
--U.S. Senator Russ Feingold

"Martin Latz knows how to negotiate, and in Gain the Edge! we're fortunate enough to share in his strategies, tips, and tricks of the trade. This book will help readers gain the edge in their business and personal negotiations."
--John Podesta, former White House chief of staff

"Gain the Edge! is a winning book, providing practical and straightforward negotiating advice and tips in a very nice, easy-to-read style. Everyone in business will immediately benefit from reading this book. It's so good, I'm buying copies for my entire management team."
-Richard L. Boals, president and CEO of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Arizona

"Resolving differences effectively--whether in business, government, school, or at home--requires negotiating skills that Martin Latz understands well, teaches skillfully, and brings to life in Gain the Edge! Here is a book of practical use and fascinating insight for everyone. After all, we are never far away from our next negotiation."
--Howard Paster, former chairman and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, Inc.

"Whether you are a confident negotiator or one who is apprehensive of the process, you will learn much from this book. Its lucid explanations, coupled with a host of practical examples, will help you to achieve better results each time you negotiate."
--Frank Sander, Bussey Professor of Law at Harvard Law School

"Martin Latz has written an engaging and valuable treatise on the art and science of successful negotiation. By using case studies and every day examples to illustrate his "Five Golden Rules of Negotiation," Martin has produced a readable and ready-access guide to negotiation strategy. And, with the myriad of checklists he provides, Marty has given the practitioner a play-by-play manual that can be taken right into the negotiation room. I highly recommend Gain the Edge! for anyone who negotiates, lawyer or layperson."
--Michael H. Ginsberg, Firm Training Partner, Jones Day (the world's second-largest law firm)

Review

"Few seize the brass ring in business or in life without topnotch negotiation skills. Martin Latz's Gain the Edge! will empower you to achieve that kind of success. Read it. Make it your own. You'll close more deals and get more favorable terms in all your negotiations."
--Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive

"Martin Latz’s Gain the Edge! is the best book I've ever read on negotiation strategy. If you negotiate for a living or only occasionally, Latz gives you the tools and tactics to succeed before you sit down at the table. Whether it's negotiating Randy Johnson's contract or the purchase of your next car, Gain the Edge! is clear, concise, and unfailingly useful."
--Jerry Colangelo, Chairman and CEO, Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns

"Anyone who's tried to push a bill through Congress knows the importance of negotiation. In Gain the Edge! Martin Latz has condensed his enormous font of negotiating wisdom into a book that's accessible, readable, and eminently usable in politics, business, and everyday life."
--U.S. Senator Russ Feingold

"Martin Latz knows how to negotiate, and in Gain the Edge! we're fortunate enough to share in his strategies, tips, and tricks of the trade. This book will help readers gain the edge in their business and personal negotiations."
--John Podesta, former White House chief of staff

"Gain the Edge! is a winning book, providing practical and straightforward negotiating advice and tips in a very nice, easy-to-read style. Everyone in business will immediately benefit from reading this book. It's so good, I'm buying copies for my entire management team."
-Richard L. Boals, president and CEO of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Arizona

"Resolving differences effectively--whether in business, government, school, or at home--requires negotiating skills that Martin Latz understands well, teaches skillfully, and brings to life in Gain the Edge! Here is a book of practical use and fascinating insight for everyone. After all, we are never far away from our next negotiation."
--Howard Paster, former chairman and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, Inc.

"Whether you are a confident negotiator or one who is apprehensive of the process, you will learn much from this book. Its lucid explanations, coupled with a host of practical examples, will help you to achieve better results each time you negotiate."
--Frank Sander, Bussey Professor of Law at Harvard Law School

"Martin Latz has written an engaging and valuable treatise on the art and science of successful negotiation. By using case studies and every day examples to illustrate his "Five Golden Rules of Negotiation," Martin has produced a readable and ready-access guide to negotiation strategy. And, with the myriad of checklists he provides, Marty has given the practitioner a play-by-play manual that can be taken right into the negotiation room. I highly recommend Gain the Edge! for anyone who negotiates, lawyer or layperson."
--Michael H. Ginsberg, Firm Training Partner, Jones Day (the world's second-largest law firm)

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (May 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031232281X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312322816
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #860,553 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent advice for all types of negotiations, May 13, 2004

By 

Justine (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gain the Edge!: Negotiating to Get What You Want (Hardcover)

I'm one of those "negotiate by the seat of my pants" people, and that's probably the reason I haven't always done well in the past. Like many people, I've concentrated on leverage and the offer/concession process, both of which I understood pretty well. But now I understand them even better.

For instance, several years ago when I bought my present car, I went to the dealership late in the evening, pretty much ensuring I wouldn't close a deal the same day. That forced the salesman to have to call me for a follow-up and by that time, my excitement about the car of my choice was in check, and I sensed that he really wanted to sell me the car, even more than I wanted to buy it.

But "Gain the Edge!" suggests researching not just what various dealerships are asking for the same car, but finding out what they paid the manufacturer, what their markup is, and how much room they have to "move" on price. And then it suggests doing most of the negotiating over the phone, so you're less likely to feel pressured. It's a lot easier to hang up than to walk away from a determined salesman.

The salesman I dealt with actually called me back three times during the next few days, and each time I did my best to lower the price. But again I made a strategic error. I wasn't patient enough (summer was here and the A/C in my old car had died). I decided to "cut to the chase." I told him the absolute highest amount I could afford for a monthly payment. I now know that that's absolutely crucial STRATEGIC information. It's a mistake I won't make again!

I bought "Gain the Edge!" because I'm going to want to trade in my old car soon. I'm going to do more research this time. And I'm going to follow some of the other great advice in this book -- like setting and sticking to my own agenda and not talking about trade-in until we've settled on a price for the new car.

"Gain the Edge!" is easy to read and has lots of good examples to help you understand the points the author makes. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who plans on making a major purchase, asking for a raise, etc.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Several ways to enjoy and use it!, May 31, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Gain the Edge!: Negotiating to Get What You Want (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book on three levels:

(1) It presents five guiding principles ("Golden Rules") that seem useful for conducting negotiations, and tells how to adapt them to your own personality;

(2) It offers specific strategies for four types of negotiations; and

(3) It has many examples of negotiating strategies and advice by well-known individuals.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Practical Advice, August 10, 2004

By 

Marsha Goodman (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gain the Edge!: Negotiating to Get What You Want (Hardcover)

I completed a significant negotiation right before I read Gain the Edge, and found myself wishing I could have read the book beforehand. The practical advice on preparation and planning is invaluable. At the same time, the book also includes tips for the several negotiation opportunities that come up quickly every day. I have already recommended to my business partner and several colleagues.