KEY FACTS - Creative bargaining to create value

Key Fact: On average, skilled negotiators explore five options for every discussion point.

• Skilled people are more likely to look for creative options to help them reach agreement and add greater value to the deal for both parties.

Key Fact: Skilled negotiators trade concessions for things they want. Average negotiators are more likely to just make concessions to win the business.

• Skilled people identify areas where they can make concessions, which have low cost to them, but high value to the other party. They then trade these for the issues of high value to themselves. As a consequence, they are more likely to win business on better terms than their average rivals.

Key Fact: Skilled negotiators don't leave the most difficult issues until last.

• There’s a real risk that if the most difficult issue is left until last, all the lesser issues that could’ve been traded, will have been agreed. With nothing to trade, creating movement on the difficult issue becomes harder, making it more likely the negotiation will end in deadlock, or that concessions will be made that damage the value of the agreement.

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