Guerrilla Negotiating: Unconventional Weapons and Tactics to Get What You Want

Rating:
Summary: Negotiating primer....not much more.
Review: Being in the professional negotiation game, I thoroughly enjoy reading books which describe and tutor the subject. Although the current market is lousy with negotiating treatises, there are a few that stand out. Fisher and Ury's GETTING TO YES seems to be my favorite, one I return to time and again. However, I believe it healthly to step outside conventional wisdom and somewhat static norms to expand one's knowledge base. Although I had no idea of the content, quality or readability of GUERRILLA NEGOTIATING, I took a flyer on it as it "looked" like it might be of some interest.

Authors Levinson, Smith and Wilson have been working together for some time now promoting the "Guerrilla" books, seminars, tapes, etc. and have been quite successful, commercially. Although this is my first "Guerilla" book, I know of their successes and common acceptance within many business circles. However, I don't judge a book or theory based on the opinions of others so, of course, I had to buy this book to determine if it had the content described in the hype.

The easy answer is that yes, indeed, this book contains the basics of negotiation theory and time-tested schemes and strategies. The problem I had with GUERRILLA NEGOTIATING was its complete lack of fluidity and cogence. Its almost as though the authors "bulleted" the book and a ghost writer took their words verbatim without the benefit of explanatory offsets. This book does very little to describe complex situations with offered solutions and options. Remember, when reading a non-fiction book AND if one is a serious reader of non-fiction, the reader will be looking for that ONE gem within the book to add to his/her repretoire. This book is basic in nature and lacked the ability to truly explain the negotiating process. Without an explanation of the framework and processes, a new negotiatior will be totally lost. And, if one is attempting to put to work the Guerrilla tactics, they will most likely present their case in a staggered, illogical, and perhaps, unprofessional manner as the authors failed to bring together the process of "beginning-to-end." This is my main gripe about the book.

To say that the book is not "Guerrilla" in nature would be a dramatic misstatement. The authors present a variety of tactics to move negotiations along including, well, a water gun. Yep, a water gun. The authors posit that if negotiations are bogged down or if you are having a difficult time moving a decisionmaker, bring a water gun to the table and threaten (or begin) to shoot him. Now, in a sales setting and depending on the sophistication of the other party, this "might" work. In a professional setting, this is tantamount to death. Lack of common sense given the facts and circumstances of a particular situation can be the death knell of a pending transaction.

Nevertheless, I cannot say this is a bad book. The book presents the materials necessary for the new negotiatior and, even some level of information for the seasoned negotiator. It is interesting that once a negotiator establishes a style, he/she just looks for ways to enhance that style. This book could fill that role.

Bottom line....if you're new to negotiating, this book will provide "glimpse-level" insight into the process. Don't look for the proverbial outline, its not there. The book doesn't present the reader with a process toward successful negotiations or even negotiation theory for that matter. On the other hand, the book does present the reader with a trove of summarized negotiating nuggets that will most likely be beneficial to many initiates. Further, the book provides summary resource materials.

CONTENT = great; READABILITY = poor.

Rating:
Summary: Guerrillas always speak the truth
Review: Guerrilla Negotiating provides a quality insight into effective negotiating tactics. The author teaches and advocates the following quality virtues: empathy, listening, fairness, and compassion. The virtues build upon these core belief system as a foundation for guerilla negotiation. This philosophy of doing business is based upon time, energy, and imagation. It is called philosophy because the guerrilla seeks truth and speaks the truth. Setting truth as the highest aspiration allowing the guerrilla access to information before the masses which can be used for gain.

The guerrilla improves proficiency in the areas of word association, using an active voice,qualifiers, amplifiers, softeners, minimizers, directors, authority builders, trace words and phrases, imagination triggers, option degenerators, spotlight phrases, emotive directors, responsibility directors, presuppositions, comparitives, and linkages. The author emphasize the importance of good communication skills and how power words can change mental understanding of concept and context. The author differs communication into two styles: One for the internal listener and one for the external listener.

Probably the best part of the book was a chapter titled, "How to win on price". Guerrillas know how their customer feels about their prices. Guerrillas know happy customers know what value they receive for a price. For instance, buyers don't stay up all night worrying how much they paid, instead, they worry what they bought won't do the job. Buyers want performance and Sellers want profit. Guerrillas know that this cycle must be maintained for their business to survive. Guerrilas try to avoid negotiating on price. I think price negotiating is a lossing game because often times the seller does know when to walk away and often they get caught in continual price battles and in some cases forced to accept lower prices.

So back to communication, the author suggest 10 ways to improve your presentation: 1. Discuss specific benefits your counterpart gains 2. Show exclusive superior features and don't waste your time on the basics. 3. Project that you are reliability and dependable. 4. Position what you have to offer as the right price 5. Demostrate the time is right to decide no you now. 6. Use proof statements to support your position 7. Support your case with visual aid (visuals and discussion increase memory retention) 8. Present and emotional appeal. 9. Dramatize your stories 10. Include a demostration.

Rating:
Summary: everyone in business should be forced to read this book
Review: The overall theme of the book is excellent. Negotiations are not a zero sum, winner take all exercise. A truly successful negotiation is one in which both (or all ) parties leave satisfied and in better shape as a result of the agreement than they would be without it. Too many people in the business world take the old track and think that they need to win, and that everyone else must lose, a mindset that is distructive for themselves, customers, suppliers and anyone else they do business with. That is why this book is a must read. It also supplies examples for increasing the size of the pie before dividing it, ways to recognize predatory negotiators, how to defend against their strategy, and most importantly what YOU need to do to prepare for and conduct a successful negotiation.