Gavin Presman

CHECKLIST FOR MENTAL PREPARATION
Do you really want to do this deal?
Are you sure the other party wants to do a deal, and if so have they expressed that desire to you?
Do you feel equal and working towards a solution that is mutually beneficial?
Do you want to have a long-term relationship with the person you are negotiating with?
What can you do to ensure the other party is committed to working towards a solution that produces benefit for all parties?
How can you get them to openly express the desire for a mutually agreeable solution, either to you or in public?
Do you know what they like? (Preferences)
Do you know what they don’t like? (Prejudices)
Do you have any research into their past agreements that you can use to inform this agreement? (Past)
What do you know about their personality? (Personality)

Variables are the things that add value to one or the other party as part of a deal, and good variables will have a magical quality to them. That is, a good variable adds balance in one person’s favour without costing the other too much

simple tool that will help you create more collaborative deals is what I call a ‘Shopping List’. This is a list of the variables you think you can use to add value for yourself or the other party.