Pre-negotiation homework requires that you understand the interests and positions of the opposing side. Just as critical is understanding and quantifying your side's position.
Here are six steps for pairing data with the negotiation points you are trying win:
- Understand the big picture number you are trying to achieve.
- Set low and high values for each quantifiable negotiation point.
- Develop likely and unlikely scenarios to reality check your assumptions.
- Re-prioritize negotiation points based on the scenarios.
- Total quantifiable points to see how they compare to the big picture.
- Make adjustments that will help you win in the aggregate, not just on a specific point.
