The Complete Idiot's Guide to Winning Through Negotiation

wriiten simply so that anyone could follow it advice, this book is a good read

I picked up this book because I was about to negotiate a venture funding deal for a company. Boy was this book helpful! From how to best prepare for the negotiation to how to gain respect from your opponent to how to actually handle the negotiation, the author explains the subject with enthusiasm and humor. Lots and lots of examples make the subject matter easy to understand.That the author emphasizes that negotiation is not just for "big deals" but for everyday living makes this book more valuable. I have re-read this book three times and continue to learn tremendously. I esp. enjoy the chapter on "insider" techniques. These pro secrets sound so simple yet how many of us really follow them? Again, the everyday examples enable the reader to immediately apply these techniques to all kinds of negotiations, big or small.My only complaint is that there are quite a large number of grammatical and word usage errors.

It's too bad they put "Idiot's Guide" in the title - this book has very useful instructions for both new negotiators and veterans alike. The cover has a handy checklist of things to consider when preparing your negotiating strategy, and Ilich reinforces the importance of considering your opponent's objectives as well as your own. He introduces the term "equalization" and makes a good case for it (you'll have to read the book - I'm not going to give his idea away here). I would rate this book 4th on my list of negotiating reading, behind Getting Past No, Getting to Yes, and Getting Together. I've read about 15 books on the subject, so 4th is high praise.