NEGOTIATE TO CLOSE: How to Make More Successful Deals

by Gary Karrass ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 19, 1985

Practical, common-sense counsel--mainly for corporate sales personnel--from a pro who runs seminars on the strategy, tactics and techniques of negotiation. Karrass covers a lot of ground in short-take chapters, starting with a series of pep talks on, among other things, personal commitment, accurate identification of prospects' real (versus expressed) needs, and running calculated risks. Negotiation is a discovery process in which unexpected options may emerge, he notes: consequently, sellers should take as much time as possible to calculate buyers' requirements--and what they will ultimately accept. Delaying actions can prove particularly valuable when it comes to concessions, according to the author who advises giving in a little at a time--without, however, assuming tit must be given for tat as price haggling reaches a critical stage. In a conciliatory context, dawdling can induce a buyer to revise requirements to the seller's advantage, Karrass contends, noting that price is but the tip of an iceberg encompassing ""a constellation of human wants and needs."" Using what-if scenarios and anecdotal case studies, he also offers suggestions on how to respond to adversaries who employ tricks of the trade--escalation, nibbling, stonewalling, et al. In brief, the big idea is to remain flexible and prepared to make intelligent compromises; it also helps to have a fallback position. Karrass provides an introduction to negotiation with above-average appeal for sales reps in search of no-frills guidance. Anyone wishing a more sophisticated and advanced treatment can turn to Jandt's Win-Win Negotiating (p. 362).

Pub Date: Sept. 19, 1985

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1985

Categories: NONFICTION