Negotiate Like the Pros: A Top Sports Negotiator's Lessons for Making Deals, Building Relationships, and Getting What You Want [Hardcover]

Kenneth L. Shropshire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 2008

If you're looking to build your deal-making chops, there is no better school than the world of professional sports. Few authors are as qualified to guide you through that rough-and-tumble terrain as Ken Shropshire.

From the Fortune 500 to the NFL, from Don King to big city mayors, Ken has negotiated major sports deals across the country and around the world. He's also one of today's most sought-after negotiating coaches, with clients ranging from the National Collegiate Athletic Association to IBM.

In Negotiate Like the Pros, Ken tells the stories behind some of the most sensational sports deals of all time and extracts powerful lessons from them on the skills you need to master to become a top-notch dealmaker. You'll learn how to:

• Prepare and Set Agendas: Peter Ueberroth's negotiation with Fidel Castro during the Soviet boycott of the '84 Olympics
• Know Your Negotiating Style and Play to Your Strengths: Why NFL coach Bill Walsh stresses sticking with your style
• Set Goals: the $60 million deal Daiuske “Dice-K” Matsuzaka cut with the Boston Red Sox in 2006
• Leverage: from the astonishing three-way negotiation between Muhammed Ali, George Foreman and the President of Zaire that Don King used to pull off “The Rumble in the Jungle”
• Build Relationships: Yao Ming's move from China and David Beckham's $250 million deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy

You also get a wealth of insider tips, tricks, and skill-building tools to help you develop a highly-effective, systematic approach to deal making. Whether you're a fanatic who sees the world through sports-colored glasses, or a casual observer who wants to learn from some of the toughest, shrewdest dealmakers in any industry, this book will teach you how to Negotiate Like the Pros.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

What the sports world can teach you about becoming a major league negotiator

What can you learn about negotiating from the likes of Don King, Vince Lombardi, and NBA Commissioner David Stern? Everything.

Negotiate Like the Pros tells the stories behind some of the most notable, complex, and lucrative sports deals of all time. A world-class negotiator in his own right, Kenneth L. Shropshire uses those stories explore powerful negotiating strategies, and teaches you how to use them to score big in any negotiation.

“What do Don King, Drew Rosenhaus, Scott Boras, and Ron Shapiro all have in common? They are superstar negotiators who get great deals for their sports clients. Ken Shropshire, who has some great sports stories of his own, uses the best practices of these masters to show everyone how they, too, can become big-league negotiators at work, at home, and in their communities.”
—G. Richard Shell, author of Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People

“Ken’s views allow us to see what it takes to create win/win outcomes not only on the field but in life.”
—Ronnie Lott, NFL Hall of Famer

“Professor Shropshire has provided a new, essential primer for those planning on engaging in negotiations. his interesting anecdotes, real-life examples, and practical tips will help both experienced practitioners as well as those just starting out.”
—Stan Kasten, president, Washington Nationals baseball club

About the Author

Kenneth L. Shropshire is the David W. Hauck Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative, academic director for Wharton's Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program for NFL Players, and a Wharton professor of Negotiating and Dispute Resolution. He is also the former president of the Sports Lawyers Association and has been a consultant to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Football League, and Major League Baseball. Visit his Web site at kennethshropshire.com for more information.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (October 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071548319
• ISBN-13: 978-0071548311
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #387,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource Book, February 20, 2010

By 

Melinda Emerson "Smallbizlady" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Negotiate Like the Pros: A Top Sports Negotiator's Lessons for Making Deals, Building Relationships, and Getting What You Want (Hardcover)

Ken Shropshire wrote a terrific book. The book uses great story-telling to illustrate the key ways to be successful in any negotiation. I especially loved all the stories about how exhaustive preparation paid off. I would recommend this book to any small business owner who wants to learn how to always have the upper-hand in any business deal. Buy this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Book, November 14, 2009

By 

Michael W. Powell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Negotiate Like the Pros: A Top Sports Negotiator's Lessons for Making Deals, Building Relationships, and Getting What You Want (Hardcover)

Mr. Shrposhire did an excellent job with this book. The book help me understand my style of negotiating and why it's important to be prepared and to have a backup plan for the backup plan. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand their style of negotiating and why it's important to have a open minded about the relationships you are building during the process of your negotiating .