5 skills that help you negotiate with confidence

John Richardson and Attia Qureshi, authors of "Never Settle: Persuasion and Negotiation Skills to Get What You Want," assert that effective negotiation is a learned skill, not an innate talent. They emphasize the need for consistent practice in low-stakes environments, drawing parallels to athletic and musical training. Richardson, who teaches negotiation at MIT Sloan School of Management and previously at Harvard Law, and Qureshi, founder of AQ Consulting and an adjunct at the Ford School of Public Policy, highlight reciprocity as a key negotiation tool. This psychological phenomenon, where a favor prompts a desire to reciprocate, is illustrated by hostage negotiation tactics where offering a small item like a sandwich can lead to the release of a hostage. They suggest applying this principle by offering a "sandwich" equivalent in business or personal negotiations, initiating a positive exchange that encourages a favorable response.