Strategic Negotiation: A Breakthrough Four-Step Process for Effective Business Negotiation [Hardcover]

Brian Dietmeyer (Author), Max Bazerman (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004

Corporate negotiation is a process like all other business strategies. In today's challenging and ever-changing business environment, it is imperative to understand negotiations from the perspective of both the buyer and the seller. In Strategic Negotiation, Dietmeyer and Kaplan use a research-based approach to negotiation that assists sales professionals in reaching their own business goals, while ensuring that their customers meet budget and professional objectives as well-going beyond win-win to achieve true, measurable business value for all parties at the negotiating table. The authors use their own strategic, four-step negotiation process to teach sales professionals how to attain quantifiable value in their dealings:
* Estimating the negotiation. What are the actual issues in the negotiation? Sellers determine the effects, both positive and negative, of a lost deal.
* Validating the estimation. A fact-finding exercise to confirm the accuracy of previously made assessments.
* Creating value. Sellers structure a series of deals creating measurable value for parties on both sides of the negotiation. Each offer addresses the essentials but goes on to include additional benefits for the buyer.
* Dividing value. A presentation of "multiple equal offers" is made to buyers, providing more value and choices than they anticipated. Chapters include worksheets for readers to analyze and evaluate their own negotiations from both a seller's and buyer's point of view.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dietmeyer and Kaplan take what many consider an art form and demystifies it into an easily understandable process. -- Don Sterkel, President, Society for Sales and Marketing Training Professionals & Sr. Director of Learning and Development, Time Warner Retail

No gimmicks, no tactics, no games—just rational decision making grounded in a bone deep understanding of both sides. -- Paul Ruane, Schering Plough Health Care Products

Strategic Negotiation creates a new and constructive approach to creating value in customer negotiation without sacrificing company profit. -- Roger Dow, Senior Vice President, Global and Field Sales Marriott International Inc.

The Strategic Negotiating process and supporting principles are guiding us to better value-based solutions for our customers and for us. -- Bill Bosworth, Organizational Development Director, National Sales, Coca-Cola Enterprises

This book is truly illuminating from cover to cover! -- Gerhard Gschwandtner, Founder and Publisher, Selling Power Magazine

From the Author

Brian J. Dietmeyer is senior partner and managing director of Think! Inc./Negotiation Solutions, a consulting firm he founded with Dr. Max H. Bazerman in 1996. The firm’s international clientele includes corporations in Japan, Singapore, Korea, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy. Dietmeyer frequently lectures to business and professional organizations worldwide and has authored numerous articles on negotiation, marketing, and business-to-business research.

Rob Kaplan is principal of Rob Kaplan Associates, a literary services firm he established in 1997. Prior to founding his own company, Kaplan served as editor-in-chief and publisher of AMACOM Books and senior editor of Harper Reference. He is the author of several books in the business field.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793183049
• ISBN-13: 978-0793183043
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #680,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mr. Dietmeyer is a 20+ year veteran of sales, marketing and strategic planning. He founded Think! Inc. in 1996 with Dr. Max Bazerman of the Harvard Business School. Prior to that, as Vice President with Marriott International, he led the National Account, Territory Management, Telemarketing and Teleconferencing Sales Forces. He's a frequent public speaker and had published articles on Negotiations, Marketing Research, Business-to-Business Relationships and Adding Value. Mr. Dietmeyer is the author of Strategic Negotiation and B2B Street Fighting. He has been VP of Marketing on the Board of Directors for National Account Management Association and was the Chairman of the MPI Education Foundation Board. He completed his undergraduate studies at DePaul University with a degree in Liberal Arts. He holds a Masters Degree in Management from The JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and he's a graduate of the Executive Development Program at the Aspen Institute/University of Maryland. Mr. Dietmeyer is also a certified Sales Trainer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars One of too many ordinary books on an extraordinary subject, June 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Strategic Negotiation: A Breakthrough Four-Step Process for Effective Business Negotiation (Hardcover)

I have read many, many books on negotiation. I present courses on the subject. You may argue that makes me entitled to express my opinion in a forum such as this one. On the other hand, I may be biased. I don't look at books the way a person who has never read a book on negotiation would. Such a person could find this book OK or could even like it ... Perhaps.

To me, there is nothing new here. Sensationalistic title words such as STRATEGIC and BREAKTHROUGH are poor taste at best or misleading advertising at worst.

Just as there are too many books on time management, there are far to many books on negotiation. This one makes the trend worse. Better alternatives would be
* The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator by Leigh L. Thompson
* The Power of Nice by Shapiro and Jankowski
* Negotiating Rationally by Max Bazerman and Margaret Neale

Leave this one on the shelves.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, Cutting Edge tips for Survival in todays economy!, June 3, 2004

By 

More than Satisfied Customer! (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strategic Negotiation: A Breakthrough Four-Step Process for Effective Business Negotiation (Hardcover)

This is the first book I've read on the issue of negotiation. The book is easy to read, and the author uses good, solid examples to illustrate the techniques they are teaching. The writing style is clean, clear, and simple, without being so simplistic as to seem unbelieveable.

The author tries to show readers how to remain objective in negotiations, rather than letting their emotions take control. The speak of being "soft on people and hard on principles", the idea of staying focussed on the problem and not attacking or blaming people. The parts I found most useful are the notions of focussing on interests rather than positions, and finding alternatives that will allow both parties in the negotiation to gain something. The idea of moving away from positions to finding the common ground of shared interests is one that is particularly useful in that it can be applied to any situation, be it a parent/child conflict, a work situation, or any negotiation. This concept shows readers how to focus on their long term goals rather than on being "right" and winning in the short term.

I have used the techniques in this book to great success many times, in a variety of areas in my life from work to family. They are easy to use, and they work! I highly reccommend this classic text to everyone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars puts a process around instinctive negotiating, June 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Strategic Negotiation: A Breakthrough Four-Step Process for Effective Business Negotiation (Hardcover)

Brian provides a clear method of putting yourself on the other side of the table. He allows you to go into a negotiation with a larger opportunity and insures that you will maintain the maximum value. you will identify tactics you have been using instinctively and puts a process around them. Several big "AHA's"