Shake Hands With the Devil

It have been awhile since i updated my blog.. but i feel flattered when a good friend of mine asked me about when I’m going to update my blog..so here i am..

I got this book few years back when i was job hunting.. it does mention something about bargaining for a higher starting Salary.. so i took this book from the shelf and purchase it without thinking.

From Frank L. Acuff’s track record, i think he supposed to be an expert in negotiation. Earlier he wrote this book called How to Negotiate Anything with Anyone Anywhere Around the World.

However its not Frank’s track records that amazed me.. the way he put his advises in a sarcastic way never failed to make me laugh when i was reading this book..Bottom line is that this book is cleverly written and his advises still sticking in my head when im doing my daily work or even bargaining for a lower price in a pasar malam(night market).

The book is written to help the reader on the following negotiations or problems(in Frank’s words Your Life Negotiations from Hell!)

1.0 Life Negotiations from Hell

• Surviving the Boss from Hell

• Getting work out of Slugs

• Bargaining for a raise or Higher starting salary

• Gaining Leverage without Authority

• Negotiating with a strategic partner who is screwing you

• Dealing with your Attorney

• Getting your real Estate Agent on Your side

• Findings common ground with people who are different from you

• E-Negotiating

My advise is that.. if you have even one of the problem stated above.. might as well get to your bookstore and purchase this book..

2.0 Seven Steps out of Negotiation from Hell: Stairway to Heaven.

2.1 Do Your Homework

• Planning is the most critical part of your negotiation strength

• Use a negotiation planner to identify all issues on your side and on their side(If you are doing sales,this template might help)

• Prioritize the Issues

• Establish a Settlement Range : - that is (Above Goal Position, Really Asking Position, and Least-Acceptable Position)

Remember: People might outsmart you occasionally, but they should never out plan you

2.2 Help Others Get What They Want

• Focus on the interest of the other side: as hard as it might be, is particularly important when dealing with hellish negotiation

• Lean towards a win-win negotiation as a goal for both sides getting a good deal

Remember: If you decide to take a win-lose approach, be careful. This can be a very small world, especially if there are people you’re trying to avoid

2.3 Go for it and Let them Beat you Down

• Keep a negotiation multi-issued

• Set an ambitious above-goal offer, so that you will have room for improvement to stay within your settlement range

2.4 Confront the issues Most Important to you in an Agreeable Way

• Confrontation is not a bad thing (although it get to your nerves sometimes) but almost nothing get resolved unless there is a confrontation

• Keep your negotiation to facts and figures.

• Avoid the following devilish words or phrases as it will invite negative thought on the other side

-“To be honest with you” (other side will think: Normally you are not honest?)

-“Obviously”( other side will think: it’s really not that obvious to me)

-“Any thinking person” (other side will think: Hey.. Im not exactly a potted plant here)

-“What you need to understand”( other side will think: I don’t know I have such a need)

-Etc etc.. you know what are these words/phrase.. don’t need to spell it out all of it.

• Confront and disagree in an agreeable way

-Pick the right time: Try to find a time and best climate for a confrontation

-Confront in private : Nobody likes to be confronted an embarrassed in front of other people

-Let the other side respond w/o interrupting: Pretty much a clear message

-Find something to agree with: How irony it is.. one of the best ways to disagree with another person is to initially find something to agree with.

-Etc etc…. more you got to get this book.

2.5 Use the rules of Persuasion

• Persuasion have much to do with negotiation : i.e the ability to get the other side to see things your way

• Following is the rules to be a at your persuasive best

• Use emotion to open up the mind of the other side

• Use logic to justify your claim

• Focus on the other side’s interest (What’s in it for them?)

• Fewer arguments to support your position is better( because people cant remember much small points, people tend to remember maximum of 3 BIG points)

Remember: People are going to exchange their hard earned money for two things (1) Good Feeling and (2) Solutions.

2.6 Build Trust at any Cost

• Trust is important because

-Nobody will tell you anything of importance if he does not trust you.: He might tell you his position on an issue, but that is not good stuff. Any good stuff is off the record.

-Once we lose trust, we can never get it back: Trust issues are almost impossible to repair

-Trust issues are distraction: Especially in hellish negotiations.

2.7 Make Persistence and Patience an Obsession

• Often, when somebody says “No” it often means “Maybe”. A persistence attitude will often change the decision made earlier

• Patience allows you to get information from the other side, particularly when doing step # 2.1. Do your Homework.

• Patience also allows you to get the best deals. (This is often hard for task- oriented people)

• Patience allows you to weight your options carefully.

3.0 Summary

Frank’s Shake Hands with the Devil, key points to survive and win a Develish negotiation is mentioned above, the book also specify the points to use particularly in a Life Hellish negotiation in point #1.

Frank’s story telling in giving out his pointers the most interesting part of the book.

Go get the book!