This book is a quick read presented in outline form. Use it as a handbook for your desk and your suitcase — concise, to the point, and to serve as a quick reference guide in the future. The Table of Contents is designed as an action-oriented memory prompt. Don't be caught without it. These step-by-step instructions will show you how to negotiate like a pro, naturally. Natural Negotiation for Engineers and Technical Professionals is based upon more than 30 years of research, experience and a wide array of information from deductive and inductive reasoning, personality theory, psychology to physiology and neuroscience. It is an all-encompassing, holistic approach - a proactive guide to help you prepare and then lead you through the negotiation process. Engineers need concrete information for calculations and estimates, the nuts and bolts; also required is an understanding of the mechanics of life. An engineer, particularly a dynamic engineer — defined as one that leads innovation and possesses the capabilities of abstract thinking and high-level problem solving using scientific knowledge (2) — is only as good as his or her ability to negotiate effectively… because advancing your new ideas means every conversation, every discussion is actually a negotiation.

Equip yourself with the tools you need to become a powerful negotiator. Some of the items below will be brief and others will be more detailed. Note that an understanding of all is important. There are many types of negotiation where you barter for what you want. Although the price of something is near and dear to many of us, price is just one variable and often not the most important variable. Safety and overall quality are definitely at the top, but then schedule/delivery and future support may also be critical to your needs. What you want can be anything, anywhere, anytime. For simplicity, “price” is used in many examples throughout this text. Where you see the word “price,” consider it a code word and insert whatever is nearer and dearer to your heart or purpose.

A critical component of negotiation is to understand the other party's interests. It's those things that they consider important. If you know what is important to your opponent, you can create a way to give it to them. If you give your opponent what they wish, yes, you also will likely get what you desire. To determine their interests, we begin by simply asking the other party what is important. In some discussions, this may be sufficient and you may obtain the information you need. Given that communication is such an important topic and many of us might agree that it is of high level importance, then this begs the question “Is it really this simple?” Do I simply have to ask and someone will tell me all I need to know about their interests in the negotiation? What if you're dealing with a family member, a spouse or a child? Surely, there is never any miscommunication there! Has the person really thought through what they want? Would there be a time when we need to help them along? When done well, understanding the interests of the other party is an interactive interview process, regardless of which side of the table you represent. Only by asking effective questions and then truly listening to the answers will we understand the other party's needs and interests in the negotiation. Below are six categories of interests; these are not listed in any particular order since you will determine the order of importance. Comfort Safety Price Durability Performance Appearance

If you are the buyer, an auction may be a viable way to obtain what you want at a decent price. EBay is one such auction, but beware of the downside of any auction and do not get caught up in a bidding war where you pay more than an item is worth. People are competitive by nature; know your limit and stick to it. Regarding automobiles and unless you are a dealer, do not assume you can get a better deal through an auction whether you are buying or selling. I have purchased automobiles though auctions, at somewhat elevated risk due to limited availability to fully check out the vehicle prior to some auctions. Auctions can be fun with the adrenaline and the high when you win at or before you reach your preset (researched) price. Auctions are negotiations. Regardless of what you may hear elsewhere for using any type of auction (online or in person), do not present yourself until near the end if you are buying. Otherwise, you simply invite an incremental bid that simply raises the price. Research the game to fully understand the dynamics of any auction by observing them before you enter the foray. This is especially true of those you attend in person; you must understand the terms, language, hand signals and gestures beforehand lest you will be taken advantage of by those more experienced. If embarking on this path, choose a knowledgeable mentor to explain the details and steer you in the beginning. Although automobiles I have purchased at auctions turned out to be dependable with no hidden defects, however, I still do not recommend them for non-dealers. What I do recommend is buying from a reputable dealer, but first you must research the game and follow the other methods defined in this handbook. Using these techniques, you will have less risk and fewer competitors wanting the same automobile at the same time, etc. All of this can and will translate into a better deal. It works.

Studying how things work and gaining an understanding of cause and effect are motivational drivers that many of us find fascinating. I have no doubt that those who drive in NASCAR know some of what is going on under their hoods, so they can maximize the vehicle. So it is with you, whether the hood we're discussing is your car, the environment, your business systems or you. In this chapter, you will learn about areas of the brain that “light up” when negotiating. Knowing about some of these facets and taking relatively minor steps to manage them can actually help you be a better negotiator. Given our current understanding, we know the human brain communicates via both electrical and chemical signals. These signals are used to transfer information among the various regions of the brain. Now consider those regions that deal with specialized operations such as short term memory and decision-making. Memory and decision making are, of course, crucial to negotiation. What a shock, right? So, anything that tends to disrupt these signals and/or cause negative physiological changes will have an impact on decision-making and in turn, your negotiation. This is enough reason for us to be concerned since studying these causal relationships and its effects on cognition leads to higher levels of understanding. Understanding more about the systems involved may also assist in your retention of concepts presented, rather than relying on rote memorization. The human brain is an amazing mechanism; here are some things you should know as it relates to negotiating.

In some cultures, there are gender-related issues that may make sense for someone else to be seen as the lead negotiator. Let's not get caught up in ego or discussions of bias. Let's just admit that the world is not a perfect place. While we all should work to make it a perfect place, free of bias, we still should maximize our potential to reach the goals we have set and be respectful of other cultures even if it conflicts with our own belief system. Leading is sometimes just pointing the way and a great leader is one who has cultivated her or his replacement which can step in at any time. The point is that there are gender-related and cultural conditions in the world which are beyond your individual influence; rather than try to have the outward conditions play to you, sometimes you must play to those outward conditions. Other interesting conditions more on a micro level are…men-to-men discussions have a greater propensity to disagree with each other — AKA one-upmanship. Women-to-women discussions have a greater tendency to agree with each other than men-to-men, all other things being equal.

At this point, you have hammered out all agreements, or have you? And, you are ready to close the deal. This is yet another opportunity to introduce sensitive issues or any others issues you desire but have not yet formed an agreement. This must be a small number of issues and your opponent should be interested in finalizing the deal that you both have worked diligently to form. This works best when other conditions line up to assist. You can set the stage to create those conditions, such as at the end of the day maybe on a Friday when everyone is looking forward to a weekend, something good just occurred for your opponent, you are negotiating with the decision maker, etc. Bring up those issues now as in, “here is what we need and let's just ink this deal so we can go have a beer” (insert drink or event of choice here). Used wisely and carefully, you've made it happen!