Once Upon a Deal... brought us a collection of stories that revealed how the principles of negotiation play out in everyday life. Now this new volume, published to mark Scotwork’s 50th anniversary as the world’s leading negotiation skills training company, brings even more entertaining, up-to-the-minute stories drawn from the team’s extensive and rich experience across many sectors and situations. Negotiation is everywhere: discover how to do it well.
Conflict is a constant in all areas of commerce, politics and society. As one of the most important ways to resolve conflict, having an understanding of negotiation is vitally important and whilst we believe improving capability is best done in a classroom (physical or virtual) this book will help the reader understand some of the core principles of negotiation through the lens of Scotwork’s 8-Step Framework.
Whether you’re negotiating the price of your house extension or a major commercial or trade deal, the insights from these stories will help you get a better deal.
Get ready to rethink negotiation, and discover practical tips and tricks along the way to build your skill and confidence.
Celebrating SCOTWORK’s 50th year in developing capability in negotiation. A new up-to-date set of stories drawn from the team’s extensive and deep experience in negotiation across many sectors and negotiation contexts.
More stories showing how negotiation is the stuff of life, to mark Scotwork’s 50th anniversary.
Cover
Endorsements
Title
Copyright
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Effective preparation
Penalty!
Negotiator Barbie: lessons from Mattels iconic success
Its the economy stupid
Shifting sands
Trick or treating
Man o man
Blossoming confusion
Crystal balls
AI gone wrong
Giving to get
Olympic success
Caught off guard?
Please open the gate!
No alarm and no surprises
Looking through my lens
Unwrapping success in the retail industry
The house always wins
Do you say yes to the dress?
Chapter 2: The Argue step
A stitch in time
The importance of being open
The not so subtle art of persuasion
Behaviour breeds behaviour
Its not you, its me
Think fast, slowly
Sliding windows
Back off!
Negotiating space
The sooner the better
Biden bows out
Hyperbole
Do you feel lucky?
Question mark
Power play
Chapter 3: Reading and responding to signals
Get the picture?
A negotiators crystal ball?
The sound of silence
Signal failure?
Not even in the room
These are not the droids you are looking for
The imbalance of power
Flash Keegan
Chapter 4: Creating momentum through proposals
My kind of proposal this Valentines
A Messi way to negotiate
Brownie points
Go extreme or go home
Rubbish on the streets of Edinburgh
Two important tactical negotiating lessons
Tell me why
Who goes first?
A strategy in need of surgery?
Proposals that take the risk
The meaning of lie
Pholly
Chapter 5: Packaging to create more value
Its a mans world?...
When is the price the price?
Tis a season to be (not so) jolly
Ave yer done?
You want it when????
Another fine mess!
The hair stays
Drastic discounts or deception
Chapter 6: Bargain to create more value
Price increases
Cupids arrows
Just plumb wrong!
Pennies from heaven?
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there
Creativity: its more than just chickens confronting existence
Red, red line
Beware the perils of giving in
From left field
The bank is closed
Chapter 7: Close to getting the deal over the line
Beware the trap of just one more thing
Do I or dont I say?
Chapter 8: Agree and document what has been agreed
What did I just agree to, again?
Mine all mine
When you let the boss get involved in the negotiation when they are not
prepared
Wanna bet?
Agreeing: the work of the devil
Once Upon a Deal Author bios
John McMillan (Scotwork Founder)
Alan Smith
Stephen White
Horace McDonald
David Bannister
Tom Feinson
Annabel Shorter
Ellis Croft
Ann Parr
Siobhan Bermingham
Index
Horace has worked in the commercial world his entire career and has woven his way through Unilever, EMI Records, The Guardian Media Group, System1 Group and now Scotwork. Horace initially landed at Scotwork in early 2021 as Business Development Director. A year after he was promoted to the role of CEO of the UK Business focussing on building the business and maximising the capability of the UK team. Horace has also served as a Trustee of Hoxton Hall one of the UKs oldest music halls.
Scotwork has now been in the business of developing capability in commercial negotiation for 50 years and this book features a new set of stories as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations: these entertaining stories are similarly drawn from the teams extensive and rich experience across many sectors and situations.
