list of no more than five labels and spend a little time role-
playing it.
There are fill-in-the-blank labels that can be used in
nearly every situation to extract information from your
counterpart, or defuse an accusation:
It seems like is valuable to you.
It seems like you don’t like .
It seems like you value __.
It seems like makes it easier.
It seems like you’re reluctant to .
As an example, if you’re trying to renegotiate an
apartment lease to allow subletters and you know the
landlord is opposed to them, your prepared labels would be
on the lines of “It seems as though you’re not a fan of
subletters” or “It seems like you want stability with your
tenants.”
SECTION IV: CALIBRATED QUESTIONS
Prepare three to five calibrated questions to reveal value to
you and your counterpart and identify and overcome
potential deal killers.
Effective negotiators look past their counterparts’ stated
positions (what the party demands) and delve into their
underlying motivations (what is making them want what
they want). Motivations are what they are worried about and
what they hope for, even lust for.
Figuring out what the other party is worried about
sounds simple, but our basic human expectations about