Negotiate and Win: Unbeatable Real-World Strategies from the NYPD's Top Negotiator [Hardcover]

Dominick J. Misino (Author), Dominick Misino (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 21, 2004

Proven techniques from the world's most famous police negotiator turned business consultant

As chief negotiator for the NYPD, Dominick Misino talked people down from bridges, got felons to give up hostages, and even disarmed terrorists with a few well-chosen words. But Misino's fame as a crack negotiator isn't limited to the world of law enforcement. One of today's most sought-after experts on business negotiation, he's shown managers around the globe how to apply his proven techniques to their business negotiations. In Negotiate and Win, Misino:

• Tells readers how to be better negotiators in business and in life, including how to get the best deal from suppliers, winning the raise you want, and persuading kids to do the right thing
• Shares riveting anecdotes--from how he got a jumper down off the Whitestone Bridge to how he persuaded skyjackers to surrender
• Walks readers through tested-inthe- trenches strategies that defy conventional wisdom

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Whether you realize it or not, you negotiate every day--with your boss, your clients, coworkers, and even the babysitter. But most of us aren't as good at cutting a deal as we'd like to be. Dominick Misino is. As the NYPD's top negotiator, he put his skills to work in high-pressure situations, successfully negotiating the release of hostages and stopping suicide attempts by the dozens. In one of his most famous cases in 1993, Misino successfully arranged the release of all 104 passengers and crew aboard the hijacked Lufthansa Flight 592. Over the years, Misino learned that when lives are on the line, you'd better choose your words and negotiating tactics wisely. In Negotiate and Win, this tough-talking word warrior shows you how to be subtle enough to get what you want and tough enough to get what you need--with anyone, in any situation.

Now a top business negotiation consultant to Fortune 500 companies, Misino shares the strategies and techniques he developed over twenty-two years and refined in more than 200 tense situations. In Negotiate and Win, he uses his own harrowing, life-or-death experiences to illustrate the effective, no-nonsense tactics that lead to more productive negotiations, such as:

• Be yourself--how to relax and use your personal strengths while negotiating
• Learn how to give--giving a little when it will get you what you want
• Sell the truth--build trust with those you negotiate for an easier exchange
• Be prepared--arm yourself with a confident attitude and the right information
• Get it down--how to be sure the final decision is completely understood by both parties

You might think that the best negotiators use tricky language or dishonest tactics. But successful negotiation is a skill you learn, not a gimmick you employ. From setting the stage to closing the deal, Negotiate and Win walks you through the basic steps of the same powerful negotiating program that Misino's clients pay big bucks for. This straightforward, honest, and effective approach applies the deadly serious lessons of a tough-as-nails hostage negotiator to the everyday deals we make at the office, at home, and everywhere else.

Once you learn to use these straightforward tactics during your own negotiations you'll succeed more often and make better deals in your daily life--whether you're asking your boss for a raise, working out a sale with a client, or buying a new house. Often counterintuitive but always on the money, the practical wisdom and tough-but-fair strategies you'll find in Negotiate and Win work just as well at a business lunch as they do in a hostage crisis.

BECOME A WORD WARRIOR

In Negotiate and Win, former NYPD hostage negotiator Dominick Misino breaks down the art of the deal, showing its fundamental basics, and gives you the tactics and strategies you need to win when it counts. Combining proven advice with riveting real-life stories--like the time he talked a potential suicide down from the Whitestone Bridge--this straightforward, step-by-step guide covers every vital aspect of successful negotiation.

Learn how to:

• Prepare yourself mentally and physically
• Set reasonable goals beforehand
• Develop a positive attitude and speak with confidence
• Know your position relative to your opponent
• Navigate the two Ds--demands and deadlines
• Listen carefully and learn what your opponent really wants
• Defend yourself from sneaky tricks
• Keep your cool when it counts
• Close the deal with a few well-chosen words

With Negotiate and Win, you'll improve your deal-making skills and apply Misino's hard-won experience to your everyday negotiations. From doing your pre-negotiation homework to the final handshake, this no-nonsense guide gives you the knowledge and the skills you need to close any deal in a way that's satisfying to you. With these commonsense tactics in hand, you'll know exactly what to say when buying your next car, refinancing your home--or even just working out a fair allowance for your teen.

About the Author

Dominick J. Misino (New York, NY) is recognized as one of the leading international experts on business negotiation. He has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and on CNN, "Good Morning America," and other nationally televised programs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (May 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071428038
• ISBN-13: 978-0071428033
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #837,944 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 basic to intermediate, but alwasy entertaining, July 22, 2004

By 

J Louis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Negotiate and Win: Unbeatable Real-World Strategies from the NYPD's Top Negotiator (Hardcover)

I bought this book for business but when I started reading it I realized that it was aimed more at a general, everyday audience. As such, it gives a very good overview of negotiating and emphasizes the basics very well. Advanced negotiators may see it as more of a refersher course. I thought the idea of splitting the roles of the team up were pretty useful, and I hadn't actually thought of it that way before. (But probably had done it.) But even if I hadn't learned anything, I'd say the book was entertaining as all get out. The stories he uses to illustrate his points are great. Highly recommended, especially for people who are a little put off by the idea that negotiating is war (it's not).

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tangentially interesting, June 28, 2004

By 

Lynellen Perry "lynellenDOTcom" (Dumfries, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Negotiate and Win: Unbeatable Real-World Strategies from the NYPD's Top Negotiator (Hardcover)

I saw the movie "The Negotiator" on TV last night and the title of this book grabbed my attention this morning. This is a very quick-read book, with a casual style. You can practically hear Mr. Misino's Bronx accent in the text. In fact, it would take a little convincing that this isn't simply a transcript of one of his consulting workshops. Mr. Misino is relatively entertaining, but I'm not convinced that he is also an educator.

There are a few of his hostage negotiation stories sprinkled in as flavor, but often the point is not terribly clear. Chapter 10 attempts to tie his topic to the real world by illustrating how to negotiate for a car and a house but doesnt seem to show much negotiation after all ... just how to research a good price and then stick to your price demand. This could be a really great, powerful book if it were better organized and edited. The casual style tends to ramble in circles around the two main points:

1) Know what you want ahead of time. What is and isnt negotiable, and what your plan B is.
2) Negotiation is establishing rapport, getting information, and getting the deal.

Quite a bit of text is spent on building rapport, including how to listen actively and get to the first "yes". Less focus is put on how to gather information relevant to business deals (or any deals that dont involve hostages), and very little focus is spent on getting the deal. The book description from the publisher is a good outline of the book's meat ... if you've read the description, you wont really need to read the book. So while I can see that this would be an interesting read for those in training to be hostage negotiators, the connection to business negotiation is extremely tenuous.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hostage negotiations: great overview and full of insights, April 13, 2010

By 

Caufrier Frederic (Belgium) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Negotiate and Win: Unbeatable Real-World Strategies from the NYPD's Top Negotiator (Hardcover)

Dominick Misino discusses here very nice in detail hostage negotiations. And that is what this book is about...."hostage negotiations" and certainly not "business negotiations". As long as you keep in mind you are reading a book about hostage negotiations you will love this book.

It is clear and fast written with often funny anecdotes from the field. It does covers though all the elements of business negotiations just from a different viewpoint. It reminds you on preparation and goalsetting (and why it should stay untouched), what elements should be in place, how to deal with the more difficult personalities, etc... So as an extra element to understand negotiations overall, this hostage negotiations book does come in handy. Each topic is nicely presented and easy to remember. Great as introduction or refresher!

If you are interested in business negotiations itself on a more academic and psychological level, I would recommend "Negotiation Genius" by Deepak Malhotra & Max Bazerman and "Hostage at the table" by George Kohlrieser.

Worthwhile to read is also Harvard Business Review 2002 (Reprint number R0210C) "Negotiation without a net: A conversation with the NYPD's Dominick J. Misino".


Contents:
Introduction: Talk to me
Chapter 1: Fifty Ninja warriors on your back (Teamwork and the different roles in a negotiation)
Chapter 2: Position is everything (Before you negotiate, be mentally and physically in the right place)
Chapter 3:Don't give the bad guy a gun (Before you begin to negotiate, know what you will not give up)
Chapter 4: Contain, Negotiate, Close (There are three phases to every negotiation. Finish one before you go on to the next)
Chapter 5: Your ears are your most important tool (Good negotiating comes down to good listening. If you can't hear, you can't negotiate)
Chapter 6: The first yes (Establishing rapport makes it possible to negotiate when your life is on the line)
Chapter 7: Is he a psycho, or just a maniac (Knowing what kind of crazy you're dealing with can help you tailor your negotiation approach)
Chapter 8: The two D's: Demand and Deadlines (To the skilled negotiator, demands and deadlines are like diamonds: your best friend)
Chapter 9: Sometimes it only takes three cigarettes (The end game: closing the deal)
Chapter 10: The 5-minutes car deal and more real life adventures (A hostage negotiator looks at some real-life negotiation problems)
Chapter 11: Don't get taken (Tips to avoid becoming a sucker - or a hostage)