The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements [Hardcover]

Don Hutson (Author), George Lucas (Author), Ken Blanchard (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2010

 The One Minute Negotiator uses an engaging business parable to tell the story of a high-level sales professional who learns the value of understanding and executing a simple yet profound approach to negotiations – an approach that can be applied to getting the best loaner car while your cars in the shop, seeking a fair solution after a hotel messes up your reservation, closing a deal to get your product in a big-box retail store, or settling on the price for your new home.

 There are two primary schools of thought when it comes to negotiation skills. One essentially comes from the Harvard Business School camp, and it’s perhaps best described as “Thou Shalt Collaborate.” This approach teaches that negotiating parties should always work together toward common interests. The other school of thought, mostly pushed by author/consultant Roger Dawson, takes an opposite approach. Call it “Thou Shalt Compete,” this approach is always overtly or subtly adversarial. The One Minute Negotiator differs in that it doesn’t single-mindedly push one strategy over the other—in the real world every negotiation differs depending on the participants and the circumstances. The authors provide an easy-to-use tool that allows you to understand your own negotiation strategy and quickly match it to the negotiation strategy used by the other side and to the situation.  

 Too many people lose out in negotiations because of apprehension and misunderstanding about the process—what the authors call “negotiaphobia”. By providing a simple, straightforward process anyone can use The One Minute Negotiator to help conquer their fears and achieve the most beneficial outcome in all their dealings.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for The One Minute Negotiator

"We all face negotiations every day, whether it's a business deal, a talk with your boss, a discussion with a spouse, or just trying to get a good deal at the mall. If you walk into battle with the simple principles of The One Minute Negotiator in mind, you'll walk away with what you want and leave the other person happier for having done the deal."
--Dave Ramsey, host of The Dave Ramsey Show and bestselling author of The Total Money Makeover

"A terrific framework for understanding and excelling in negotiations! Some attempt to make negotiations complex and daunting, but this book provides an easy three-step process. This `can't miss' approach addresses negotiaphobia and generates successful outcomes simultaneously!"
--Hyrum Smith, Vice Chairman, FranklinCovey, Inc.

"Don Hutson and Dr. George Lucas are geniuses! The One Minute Negotiator will reset your mindset to achieve the best outcomes in the toughest negotiations."
--Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive

"The One Minute Negotiator is short but powerful! Hutson and Lucas have put in capsule form some of the best ideas on successful negotiations I have ever seen."
--Darren Hardy, Publisher, SUCCESS magazine

"I wish I could have read this book decades ago! It is packed with the best negotiation skills I have ever seen. I cannot imagine a person in business not getting great value from reading this book!"
--Howard Putnam, former CEO, Southwest Airlines, and author of The Winds of Turbulence

About the Author

Don Hutson, the Chairman and CEO of U.S. Learning and the Chairman of the Board of Executive Books, is an accomplished corporate speaker and trainer who works primarily with Fortune 1000 Companies. Don is the author of nine books, including The Sale and the New York Times No. 1 bestseller, The One Minute Entrepreneur, which he co-authored with Dr. Ken Blanchard. The Sale sold more than 75,000 copies, while The One Minute Entrepreneur has sold more than 125,000 copies and is schedule for a re-release this summer.

 

George H. Lucas, Ph.D., is a senior consultant and member of the board of directors for U.S. Learning, and has been a resource to organizations as a speaker, trainer, consultant, and field coach for more than twenty-five years. He regularly works with clients in North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, Australia, and Africa. George is author or co-author of several successful textbooks, and a co-author (with Don Hutson and Chris Crouch) of The Contented Achiever. He also co-authored, with Terri Murphy, a widely utilized CD-based learning resource: Negotiation -- What You Don’t Know Can Cost You.

 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; aFirst Edition First Printing edition (August 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605095869
• ISBN-13: 978-1605095868
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Negotiating

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun to read, easy to understand, hard to master- not just for salesmen!, September 2, 2010

By 

Wulfstan "wulfstan" (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements (Hardcover)

This book is not actually part of the famed "One Minute Manager" series by Ken Blanchard- although Ken does provide a Foreword and the overall presentation is quite a bit like those books. Author Don Hudson has also co-authored The One Minute Entrepreneur with Ken Blanchard.

I can only hope you have read "The One Minute Manger" already- it's a classic, and so are several other of Ken Blanchard's books. (Who Moved My Cheese? Is another fun title).

The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements is an easy read, with plenty of fun little anecdotes (or as they say "parables" ), just like the One Minute Manager. Here, rather than finding cheese, the two main characters try to master their "negotiaphobia".

This book teaches you the four basic negotiation steps- in a "EASY" method - E.A.S.Y (Engage, Assess, Strategize, Your One Minute Drill).

Now, I know you're saying "well, I don't really negotiate all that much, I am in ....... not sales. " Well, sure, but negotiation is something we use more than just on the job, it's also something we use with family members and as consumers- how about getting a better loaner car, or getting a fair shake when your hotel reservation is lost, or even in a big-box retail store? YOU also need to conquer your "negotiaphobia".

To quote the authors: "Other people pride themselves in always being a competitive battler. This is not a good strategy when you run out of gas in the middle of the desert, and a tow truck comes by with a gas can. Unless you want to end up being a buzzard's entree, you had best be somewhat agreeable.

The One Minute Negotiator model gives you four alternative strategies to choose from in your quest for a desirable outcome. With this model, you can innovatively match the strategy to the situation--rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach."

This book is easy to understand, fun to read and even if you never master the techniques here (it's harder than they make it seem, trust me) you will certainly learn the basic techniques (Be Flexible!) and be better (and less nervous) at those every day negotiations.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good framework to look at negotiation, February 3, 2011

By 

Alain B. Burrese "Author, Speaker, Mediator, ... (Missoula, MT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements (Hardcover)

There are tons of negotiation books, and that's just on my shelves. However, there is always room for another, especially if it is an easy read with some practical suggestions, and that is just what "The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements" by Don Hutson and George Lucas provides. It has a Foreword by Ken Blanchard, author of "The One Minute Manager," and like that classic text, this book is written as a parable with the negotiation lessons coming out as the main character of the story learns them. It's not earth shattering, especially to someone who teaches mediation and negotiation skills. But it is a good, simple book, that will help those who suffer from what the authors call negotiaphobia.

The story is about Jay Baxter, who works for XL Information Solutions, and who embarks on a company cruise. It just so happens, that a speaker on the cruise will be presenting a seminar called "Treating Your Negotiaphobia." Jay is reluctant to attend, and even puts his foot in his mouth while talking to the negotiation instructor the night before the seminar, as he does not know who he is talking to. (Yes, it is predictable, and you the reader know right away the mistake he is making.)

Jay decides to be committed to the course and see what he can learn. To his surprise, the concepts the instructor teaches make sense and he embraces the information and enjoys the seminar. Obviously, he uses the newly learned strategies and concepts after leaving the cruise to succeed in his position.

So, yes, it is a simple story and predictable. But you are not really reading it to be entertained and kept in suspense. The key to the book is the formula the instructor teaches during his on board seminar. It is a simple process that entails recognizing you are in a negotiation and reviewing the viable strategies, evaluating your tendency to use each of the negotiation strategies, as well as the tendencies of the other side(s), and selecting the proper strategy for the particular negotiation.

The authors do a good job of explaining the concepts and why they are important. At the end of each chapter there is a summary of the chapter's insights. At the beginning of this review, I commented on how many negotiation books are out there. Many of them teach specific negotiation strategies and tactics. This book is different in that it teaches a framework to look at negotiations and I would encourage people to look at the techniques and tactics learned elsewhere through this framework.

One thing about the book is that it is very easy to read. It's not long at all, and if it provides a framework for you to look at negotiations differently, especially if you suffer from negotiaphobia, it will be worth your time. We negotiate all of the time, and any time you can learn to increase your effectiveness in this valuable skill, it will pay off. This was a good addition to my conflict and negotiation resources, and I'm sure I'll review it now and then as I continue to teach others, learn, and negotiate myself.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Things Come From This Small Package, September 3, 2010

By 

I-man - See all my reviews

This review is from: The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements (Hardcover)

"The One Minute Negotiator" follows the simple formula of short, sweet, and to the point as do the other books in the "One Minute" series. Aiming to cure "negotiaphobia" is the subtext of this book that does a surprisingly great job of keeping the reader turning the page the deeper he or she delves into the book. Overall a great, short read with vast amounts of information crammed into just over 100 pages. Reading this, you might just learn how to put money back in your pocket instead of leaving it on the table...