You Can Negotiate Anything: The World's Best Negotiator Tells You How To Get What You Want Mass Market Paperback – December 1, 1982

A friend of mine, once walked into a tire store, and said he needed a set of new tires for his Lincoln Continental. And then told the salesman exactly what he would pay, which was well below the advertised price. To his surprise, the salesman said no, and refused to negotiate. Stunned, my friend, left the store without the tires. He thought: no tire salesman would ever turn his back on a surefire sale. And yet, that is exactly what happened.Obviously, my friend had not read "You Can Negotiate Anything". Had he done so, he would have known that he would have to spend time talking with the salesman, getting to know him, before announcing what he was willing to pay. By walking in off the street cold turkey, and asking for a sweetheart deal, rarely works. My friend likely would have gotten what he wanted, at the price he was willing to pay, had he taken the time to get to know the salesman, and for the salesman to get to know him, to see him as a fellow human in need of help. This takes time, of course, and that's the point. Investing your time, and that of the salesman's, leads to agreement. The idea is to achieve something beneficial to both parties, rather than to your's alone.That, in a nutshell, is the secret of negotiations: you must personalize the relationships first; by acting in a sincere and friendly way. Do that, and the world will see your humanity, and be more inclined to help you.Cohen's short book (255 pages) is full of real life examples, as well as a number of steps that lead to closure that is satisfying to both parties.One of Cohen's most compelling examples is that of teenage girl whose diary brought home to the world the horror of World War II.Writes Cohen: "When the Second World War was over, we learned the statistical magnitude of the atrocities committed against humankind. We could not fathom the absolutes evil perpetrated by the Nazis and their countless millions of silent and passive accomplices. For the average person, the numbers were incomprehensible.'More than anything else, it was the writings of a teenage Jewish girl that helped people understand some of the horror that had taken place. While hiding from the Nazis, she wrote a vivid and tender account of her experience. Her words expressed her innocence, optimism, and humanity that produced an emotional impact. This was, of course "Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl", published in 1947 and later made into a play and a film that affected the world."Accordingly, to maximize your impact as a negotiator--no matter whom you are dealing with--you must personalize both yourself and the situation."I originally read this book some 30 years ago while in the midst of changing the retail culture of a $4 Billion company, from one of adversarial selling tactics to one of counselor selling effectiveness. It took some time, but the company did indeed change; the results were increased sales, fewer customer complaints, and a happier and more content sales force.Bottom line: no matter your line of work, Cohen's ideas will enhance your effectiveness, and your personal happiness, and you'll probably live longer, too.

This is a very good book on negotiating that I purchased, or had given to me about 30 years ago. It's sufficiently short in length, but long on fundamentals, that you could quite literally read (and learn) the key points in a single day. I've always liked the mix of the emphasis both on the win-win perspective of negotiating vs. the just "I've got to win" angle, as well as the use of some light-handed psychology that helps shape the expectations of your opposite negotiating party, and so that the transaction evolves to something that both parties can live with (since nobody should always get everything they want - or at least not in the real world).The book proved it's worth for me on at least 2-3 practical occasions in the past (2 car-buying and one house-buying experiences). In some regards those transactions and the negotiations, which I (and most people I suspect) usually dread - were actually kind of enjoyable. The key is to never put yourself in the position of having to close the deal (on whatever) right then. Time urgency-driven need will kill you, because you always have to be willing to walk away from a deal, and have the attitude that this is not the last car or the last house on the face of the planet. This isn't always easy when you're in partnership with a desparately pleading spouse who isn't helping much with statements of "this house is perfect", "we've got to have this house", and "we can't let this one get away no matter what" - right in front of the seller, the seller's real estate agent and your real estate agent. Because at that point you should pretty much realize you've surrendered virtually any negotiating leverage you might have had.I've got my employees at work now reading this book, because I find that for some of our employees negotiating appears to have become a totally lost art. When they're all fully "read-in" on the book, I plan on trying to develop a negotiating "primer" for our organization's recruiters - because I believe their current understanding of negotiating with job candidates on the issue of salary, is limited to: would you like a little more or a lot more?!?! Whether purchased New or Used, this book is a timeless winner, with practical value for everyone - buy it.