How to negotiate more successfully

The art of negotiating is a popular subject. Most respectable bookshops can offer you several "best" approaches to getting what you want through negotiations. Some of the "best" approaches are better than others. What we want to do now is share with you some of the better ideas we think are available and to look at some of the differences two of these experts take to prove their point of view. Most would agree with the authors of Getting To Yes, Roger Fisher and William Ury, on their criteria for effective negotiating. (Most would also agree that this is among the best books about the topic.) Effective negotiating should:

· Produce a wise agreement if agreement is possible.
· Be efficient (conserve everyone's resources, including time).
· Improve or at least not damage the relationship between the parties.

The authors go on to define a wise agreement as one which "meets the legitimate interests of each side to the extent possible, resolves conflicting interests fairly, is durable, and takes community interests into account." Their basic approach to negotiating is rather simple but obviously successful (based on the credibility they enjoy). It includes four basic steps:

Step 1: Separate the people from the problem.
Step 2: Focus on interests, not positions.
Step 3: Invent options for mutual gain.
Step 4: Insist on using objective criteria.