The Power of Nice: How to Negotiate So Everyone Wins - Especially You!

Becoming a better negotiator is in everyone's best interest so when one of my students recommended Power of Nice, I was pretty excited about ordering it from Amazon and put it in the queue to read. I really enjoyed the stories in this book. Shapiro has been there, done that in some of the biggest and toughest negotiations in the sports world. If you are a baseball fan, it will bring back memories. And I learned more from the stories than anything else.I have read this book twice, the first time it didn't quite click and I have a theory why. The book's content is pretty good, but the layout is terrible. I just finished reading a book by Addison Wesley press that had at least 4 times the number of facts per page and power of nice and as always the information was laid out professionally; it helps me to absorb the material. There is another thing that is off putting is how the author keeps saying if you follow the principles in this book you'll get better results and more of what you want and similar. Hey, I already bought the book, quite selling. It reminded me of Richard with his Refuse to Lose's 9 principles in Little Miss Sunshine.Another small problem and then I will start praising the book again. They use a lot of initials, for instance, the three Ps. Everyone who has ever read a business book knows the three Ps are product, price and positioning, but not here. The three Ps in power of nice are prepare, probe and propose.However, I just came out of a fairly intense negotiation, I had read the entire book once and spent the days before the negotiation preparing. I let the other side propose first, I probed and I proposed. It all worked. So the book was certainly worth the $20.00 I paid for it and much, much more. And I did get better results and more of what I wanted so Shapiro has every write to claim that. I have not read a better book on negotiation, pick it up and deal with the layout already.

This is a fun, entertaining, and enlightening read. At the same time, this book provides excellent content in a disciplined presentation that makes it accessible and applicable. So, if, like me, you rolled your eyes at the sight of the title, thinking this book would be just a bunch of fluff, you're in for quite a surprise.This is a book of great substance that stresses a systematic approach to negotiations that's based on rationality, process, and decisive actions. The authors' emphasis on the need for systematic, behavior-based process is excellent. They underscore this point with a vivid example involving skydiving (pp. 63-66).The core tenets of the philosophy are the "3 Ps and Big L" (overviewed in Ch. 4, with greater detail in Ch. 5-7):* Prepare (Ch. 5)* Probe (Ch. 6)* Propose (Ch. 7)* ListenThe 3 Ps represent the primary areas of the negotiating process; using good listening skills is an overarching principle that's essential throughout the process.The discussion of how to deal with difficult negotiators is valuable (pp. 171-187). This section focuses on recognizing the emotional bait and teaches you how to avoid falling for trap. Don't take it personally, and don't make it personal. The authors provide concrete examples of typical emotional tactics and how best to respond to them to keep your emotions in check and adhere to the process.The book concludes with an excellent ten-page section of worksheets that tie it all together (pp. 268-277). These worksheets encompass everything the book covers and serve as a ready-made tool that you can use and reuse in your negotiations.I highly recommend this book. It's an excellent work that's particularly valuable to those in business. But, because "negotiating" applies to so many other things in life, just about anyone can benefit from its wisdom.

I would imagine that since each of us has different personalities and different likes and dislikes that some would be more inclined toward this book than others. Some like Antiques and some modern furniture. Some love good carb snacks and others a great chocolate bar. Our taste vary, but this book is most probably for everyone.Becuase while we may differ on what color car we want, or or what type of work we do, we all want to win our negotiations, we all want respect first and we all want appreciation (and love). This book teaches the skill of negotiating in a fair way. Fair-like it or not means taking a look at the others prespective as much as we hate to do this. (when you are at a ballgame and the umpire makes a call against the home team 50,000 are booing. Can it be that all of the people on the field saw it one way and the home team and home fans another?Its human nature to want to be right. And human nature to want to be treated fairly. This is a great read. And will produce better results in your negotiations, without burning a bridge, becuase burning bridges is not a wise thing to do.

The author is a master of "nice" and the book title says it all. Negotiations should never be about "I win so you lose" but about everyone winning in the end. A great life lesson regardless of one's career, station in life, or age. Valuable lessons throughout and worth rereading time and time again. This is also a great gift!

Excellent book. Although a bit older now, it has been in my library since origional publication, and I have re-read it several times. The secret to modern business, and a key to success, is to make sure that both parties at the table walk away with something they need. This applies to dealing with customers, suppliers, even within your own company. The old days of considering the party across the table as the enemy, to be bullied, brow-beaten, and defeated, are long over. This book highlights that if both parties don't walk away satisfied, then both parties lose. There is no Win-Lose. It is either Win-Win, or Lose-Lose.

Very informative book, easy to read and gives you lots of really useful tips and has lots of useful anecdotes to help you understand how they work in real situations.

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Fantastic book that provides sound advice that can be applied to so many situations in life.

Ronald Shapiro provides an interesting guide line as to how negotiations can be conducted in a manner that both side come away feeling that a good deal has been struck. I like his many personal examples to highlight the points he is making.