Cambridge Business Association
The Upper Hand
Book

The Upper Hand

Winning Strategies from World-Class Negotiators

Michael Benoliel and Linda Cashdan
Platinum Press, 2006
First Edition: 2004
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Editorial Rating

9

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  • Applicable

Recommendation

getAbstract recommends this book to anyone who negotiates regularly and wants to get better at it. Actually, authors Michael Benoliel and Linda Cashdan have written such a clear book that just about anyone could read and enjoy it. They interviewed a host of well-known expert negotiators, such as former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III, U.S. Senator Bob Dole and even sports agent Jeff Moorad, for their advice and perspectives on negotiation. This is intrinsically interesting reading. Novice negotiators should take special heed since most negotiation is deeply experiential and, as the authors note, most new negotiators don’t predict its outcome correctly. People tend to overestimate how good they’re going to be at negotiating, and underestimate how challenging it will be. Let one deal go bad or even allow one negotiation to stall for days, and you’ll be ripe for the solid advice this fine book provides. It is realistic, applicable and challenging.

Summary

"Enter the Room Well Armed"

Successful negotiations start with research and planning long before you reach the bargaining table. First, study the situation from all angles so you understand the whole context, not just the specific positions or questions under negotiation. Michael McDonald, founder of HealthCentral.com, suggests investing at least four hours of preparation for every hour of negotiating time. If you don’t, you’ll be particularly susceptible to a bias: The first numbers named will shape your perception of a reasonable offer and will anchor your sense of what is possible.

Dennis Ross, former U.S. envoy to the Middle East, said his goal was to arrive at the negotiating table knowing that he knew as much or more about the issue at hand than anybody else in the room. Make this your goal to help you avoid the "winner’s curse" - getting the deal you ask for, and then realizing you could have done better. Don’t allow pre-investigation information gathering to freeze your perception of the situation. Let your understanding evolve as new information is presented. This enables you to step away from mistakes and not drown in them. Plan how you will establish a vision...

About the Authors

Michael Benoliel, Ph.D., a certified mediator, founded the Center for Negotiation, which he directs. He has helped with negotiations for organizations in Africa, the Middle East and the United States. Linda Cashdan worked for Voice of America for more than 30 years, and has published many freelance articles.

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