Negotiating - Do You Really Know How to Negotiate?

[Marc Diaz]

I read this article titled "The Teaching Cure" in the Sunday NYTimes last weekend and I thought you might find it interesting.

The general public relies on real estate agents, attorneys, and other professionals to be advocates for them in a variety of situations - negotiating contracts, settlements, etc. One skill that is presumed but often underdeveloped and overlooked is the art of negotiating. I must admit that before I read this article I was skeptical about formal negotiation training - now I want to enhance my own negotiating skills. In the area of real estate contracts, sometimes I am too quick to say that it is just about the "magic" number - finding that sales price that a buyer will pay and a seller will accept. To be sure, that is still a large part of it, but I think there are a lot of other ways to be a successful negotiator. It's not just about the numbers.

I'd appreciate your feedback after reading the article - and any anecdotes you can leave in the comments of your own negotiating successes and failures.

~Marc