These are excerpts from the author’s book “Deep,” which contains eight of his small books published in the form of Wisdom Literature covering different aspects of life: Facing troublemakers, dealing with pain, personal financial issues, gastronomy, reading, criticizing, inspiring, and feeling always good to go.

Week 4: Dealing with Negotiation Surprises

• Prepare your renunciations list well ahead, and let it be long enough to allow you to select among several comfortable choices. Make sure to slowly and carefully expose the items one by one, and always keep in mind that the goal is to finalize the negotiations while keeping as many items as possible intact within that list.

• It is essential before going in depth with negotiation to identify who wears the good guy hat and who wears the bad guy hat, even though both could be the opposite outside the meeting room.

• Even if you are negotiating for yourself or your organization, try to imagine that you are negotiating for somebody else or another party who hired you as a delegate for the mission. This allows you to act enthusiastically and react calmly.

• In the next session of a negotiation, try to bring encouraging rewards for your opponents and surprise them with additional challenges.

• When your opponents show greediness, it is better to focus on keeping them occupied with the fear of losing the rewards already offered.

• It is important not to stick strictly to familiar strategies. Be flexible throughout the negotiation to allow for absorbing your mistakes, considering the behavior of your opponents, and the reevaluation of your prejudgments on their natures and behaviors.

• Try to listen openly and carefully to your opponents during the negotiations while accepting their notes on your weaknesses as if they were gifts.

• If you discovered that it is a cunning display of muscle rather than being a process of compromising in good faith, then it is better to stick to your stance even if you are convinced that you are not entitled to what you are fighting for.

• No matter the barriers—lack of trust, diehard bargainers, or spoilers—with solid arguments and a patient, calm approach, you could discompose your opponent’s position.

• With the same solid argumentation and a rational approach, you should be able to maintain an impressive image, regardless of the negotiation tactics adopted by your opponents.

• If others have prepared well with many surprises, it is better not only to ask for time to study their proposals but to try to keep them busy with your own well-prepared surprises.