Method to Negotiate Others

Why? Because we'll trade you this delicious doorstop for that crummy old Danish...

Negotiating happens on every level of business. You could be setting territories for the five families or looking to get the best price on a new Volkswagen. It doesn’t matter. The same principles stay true in the boardroom, the showroom or in the backroom of the Mulberry Street Social Club. Negotiating is an art.
Discussion:-
Negotiating happens on every level of business. You could be setting territories for the five families or looking to get the best price on a new Volkswagen. It doesn’t matter. The same principles stay true in the boardroom, the showroom or in the backroom of the Mulberry Street Social Club. Negotiating is an art. I’ve seen cafones enter a negotiation with a loose approach, thinking they’ll wing it once the game begins. Marone. These schmucks spend the next half hour grabbing their ankles and walking out paying double or getting half their stake. You need to respect the art form that it is, and anticipate everything that’ll be thrown at you. So, next time you’re playing hardball with the broker, are looking to up the salary or are simply wanting them to throw in the fog lights for free, follow these steps for a successful negotiation.
Structure your argument:-

Like a lawyer structuring his defense, you need to frame your argument before any negotiation. I’m not expecting you to sit down in your study and draw it out on the blackboard, but you should know what strengths you bring to the table. I’m not asking the stunad on the other end to meet my demands because I expect a favor. Marone, you won’t cut a worthy deal with that rationale. You need to frame it in the appropriate manner. You want the landlord to lower the rent? Stress the fact that you’ll be paying on time every month, and a stress-free tenant is worth the discount. And if you can’t find the right angle to take, cut a deal quickly or don’t sit down at all.
Set your boundaries:-

The easiest way to find a sour deal is by sitting down for a discussion without knowing your boundaries. Setting your mark before you enter the room is absolutely essential. It gives you a sense of perspective when things get heated. Every wise guy knows exactly how low, how high, how much, or how little he’s willing to budge. If he doesn’t, the exhaustion of the discussion will get the best of him. I’ve seen paisans on the verge of passing out from the intensity of a sit down. When it comes to that, they crave a deal so badly they’re willing to throw their family in at no extra charge. If you keep your mark in mind, and you stick to it, you’ll never get too lost.
Start high or stay firm:-

There are two schools of thought when it comes to negotiating, but they both come from the same principal. You want your adversaries to think they’ve come a long way, that they’ve made progress in their favor. If, for example, you’re asking a rivaling capo for a piece of territory, you start with a big chunk. You might only expect him to give up a couple of neighborhoods, but you ask for 10. When he gets you down to three, he feels he’s done a good job. The other method is staying firm. Ask for four neighborhoods, and show you’re tough to budge. If he can push you an inch, he’ll consider it a victory. But if you’re moving in on my territory, don’t expect much more than a club to the head.