How to be an Ethical Negotiator

When you talk about negotiating tactics, some people feel uncomfortable thinking about how to negotiate better, especially when they aren’t thinking in terms of ethical negotiations. Chances are, it’s because someone who knew these kind of tactics used them to take advantage of them or someone they knew, instead of using ethical negotiating tactics to create win-win accords and make all parties happy with the solution agreed upon. Either way, whether you want to know how to negotiate better or protect yourself from the unethical types among us…you’ll like reading this post on ethical negotiations.
1. Remember, addendums supersede the main agreement.
2. Negotiation tactic for big deals: Hire good attorneys and pay them what they are worth. Few know how to negotiate better than skilled attorneys.
3. Read George Ross's (Donald Trump's attorney, you might know him from the Apprentice early seasons) book, called Lessons of a Billionaire Investor.
4. Always leave the door open to counter-offers. Future circumstances bring new choices.
5. If you say you’ll call/email/respond at a certain time, do it. If you want to know how to negotiate better, learn how to communicate better.
6. "If this will cause you to lose sleep at night, I'd rather not do it. Is it going to be a problem?" Let people know it needs to work for them AND you, not just you.
7. Always create value. Create value. Create value. Put a value on it, describe it, make them want it, and give it to them. They don’t have to know it a) didn’t cost you anything or b) you didn’t want it in the first place or c) they would have gotten it anyway.
8. Negotiation is a game. Why choose to be on the sidelines, when so little work is required to become a player? Now, if you want to be an all-star…
9. “What's more important, X or Y?” Let them choose and hold them to it. Someone who uses ethical negotiation tactics expects the other person to do the same— but is prepared if they don’t.
10. Creative problem solving leads to big profits. Be a problem solver.
11. Become known as a businessperson whose word is their bond.
12. If they can’t or won’t, always ask “Why?”
13. “OK, I’ll give you your price, but you’ll have to meet my terms”. Tit for tat.
14. Remember, “Every problem has a price tag” when you're buying. If there's a problem, quantify it, run the numbers and offer that much less.
15. Never say “Take it or leave it”. This is NOT a power play; in fact it is a sign of INSECURITY. Usually anyway, but it’s much better to say “never” than to list and explain in detail the few exceptions when this would be advisable in ethical negotiations.