12 Principles of Negotiation

Marvin Gottlieb and William J. Healy

  1. The greatest failure in negotiation is failing to negotiate.

  2. The most important person to know in a negotiation is yourself.

  3. Everyone has power in a negotiation.

  4. Single-issue bargaining leaves both parties unsatisfied.

  5. Urgency drives decisions.

  6. Agreement is the end; trading off is the means.

  7. Even in a collaborative environment, best results are obtained by keeping the other party on a "need to know" basis.

  8. The value of something is always in the eye of the beholder.

  9. Success in negotiation is directly related to the amount and kind of preparation preceding the negotiation.

  10. The ability to walk away or select another alternative to a negotiated agreement puts a negotiator in a very strong position.

  11. Even when two sides are far apart on major issues, there are always things they can agree upon.

  12. Meaningful negotiation involves conflicts. The person who has a strong need to be liked, or who tends to avoid conflict, is likely to be at a disadvantage.

Making Deals: The Business of Negotiating, 2nd ed., by Marvin Gottlieb and William J. Healy.

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