Anyone can be a great negotiator, I told them, and in fact it often pays to be quiet and gracious, to listen more than talk, and to have an instinct for harmony rather than conflict. With this style, you can take aggressive positions without inflaming your counterpart’s ego. And by listening, you can learn what’s truly motivating the person you’re negotiating with and come up with creative solutions that satisfy both parties.

The truly gifted negotiator, then, is one whose initial position is exaggerated enough to allow for a series of reciprocal concessions that will yield a desirable final offer from the opponent, yet is not so outlandish as to be seen as illegitimate from the start.

The Persians, very good negotiators. Great negotiators, legendary negotiators. They're known for it. They're sitting across the table.

The truly gifted negotiator, then, is one whose initial position is exaggerated enough to allow for a series of concessions that will yield a desirable final offer from the opponent, yet is not so outlandish as to be seen as illegitimate from the start.

Negotiation Tips

-You want leverage.<br/>-The person who creates more value has leverage.<br/>-The person who can walk away has leverage.<br/>-The person who is irreplaceable has leverage.<br/>-The person who has a second option has leverage.<br/>-The person who knows the numbers has leverage.<br/>-The person who everyone likes and wants to work with has leverage.<br/>-The person who asks for more, gets more.

And finally, most negotiations are not one-time affairs. The person people continue to like at the end of this negotiation is in a better position for the next one.

I may not be the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick the smartest people to do business with and size them up very fast.

Some people have an ability to negotiate. It's an art you're basically born with. You either have it or you don't.

I'd learned a few lessons about negotiating: You're unlikely to ever get all you want; you'll probably get more of what you want if you don't issue ultimatums and leave your adversary room to maneuver; you shouldn't back your adversary into a corner, embarrass him, or humiliate him; and sometimes the easiest way to get some things done is for the top people to do them alone and in private.

You know how I'm smart? I got people around me who know more than I do.

I’d learned a few lessons about negotiating: You’re unlikely to ever get all you want; you’ll probably get more of what you want if you don’t issue ultimatums and leave your adversary room to maneuver; you shouldn’t back your adversary into a corner, embarrass him, or humiliate him; and sometimes the easiest way to get some things done is for the top people to do them alone and in private.

Focus more on making the pie bigger than on exactly how to slice it so that you or anyone else gets the biggest piece. The best negotiations are the ones with someone in which I say, “You should take more,” and they argue back, “No you should take more!” People who operate this way with each other make the relationship better and the pie bigger — and both benefit in the long run.

I'm not the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues.

Smart partners negotiate fair deals because they know that lopsided deals are fragile and that most value accumulates in long-term trust relationships. You can tell a lot about a potential partner by their opening offer.

I know how to secure the peace.