NEGOTIATION GUIDES

The negotiator's handbook

In-depth guides to BATNA, SPIN, the Harvard method, ZOPA, anchoring and objection handling. Every guide ends with practice in the AI simulator.

BATNA: what it is and how to calculate your best alternative in a negotiation

A complete guide to BATNA: definition, step-by-step calculation, salary and B2B examples, common mistakes and ways to strengthen your position.

9 min readRead

SPIN Selling: the four question types with B2B examples

An in-depth guide to Neil Rackham's SPIN method: Situation, Problem, Implication and Need-payoff questions, example phrasing, mistakes and practice.

10 min readRead

The Harvard negotiation method: 4 principles and how to apply them

A guide to principled negotiation from the Harvard Negotiation Project: people vs problem, interests vs positions, options for mutual gain, objective criteria, with examples.

10 min readRead

ZOPA: the zone of possible agreement and how to find it

What ZOPA means in negotiation, how it relates to BATNA and the reservation price, how to estimate it when limits are hidden, and what to do when there is no ZOPA.

8 min readRead

Anchoring in negotiation: how to make the first offer and defend against theirs

How the anchoring effect works in negotiation, when to name a number first, how to justify your anchor and how to neutralise an aggressive anchor from the other side.

8 min readRead

Objection handling: a step-by-step technique and answers to "too expensive", "let me think", "we already have a vendor"

A practical guide to handling objections in sales and negotiation: 5 steps, sample answers to common objections, mistakes and ways to practise.

9 min readRead