Product Description

The word "negotiation" is rooted in the Latin negotium, meaning "not leisure"(as in, that which is not leisure is business). In Old French, "negociacion" meant "dealing with people." Both definitions, though archaic, are right on the mark because the fact is that all dealings between people--whether social or business--constitute negotiation.

The Negotiation Toolkit offers a fresh new approach to mastering these two crucial skills. Unlike other books (which just offer basic advice), this hands-on workbook integrates questions and answers, self-assessments, mini-surveys, feedback measures, and action challenges to help readers build personal confidence and negotiating prowess. Readers will learn:

* the "golden rule" of negotiation * three fundamental questions of negotiation * when not to negotiate * eight behaviors of star negotiators, and much more.

Written in a lively, entertaining style, this book will help anyone--even unnatural negotiators--triumph at the bargaining table.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #398969 in Books
• Published on: 1999-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

About the Author
Roger J. Volkema (Washington, D.C.) is a professor of management at American University and a private consultant to business and government. He regularly conducts courses, seminars, and workshops on negotiation, mediation, and conflict management.

Customer Reviews

The negotiator as pain-in-the-rear
Overall, this book is good, but much of it is unoriginal and some of it raises doubts about the author's grasp of practice. For a start, Dr Volkema falls back on the tired "dual concerns" model of conflict style, with its blend of concern for the self and the other. The model is okay, but it has become a cliche, like win-win etc. For good reasons, many authors (excluding Dr Volkema) have at least come to reject "compromising" (moderate concern for both self and other), one of the five distinct (doubtful in itself) styles that comprise the standard model. "Avoiding" is also suspect as a style, especially as defined by Dr Volkema: "avoiding not only the issues but the other party or parties and negotiation itself." Surely you do not use a negotiation style if you avoid negotiation itself. Here and there, the book contains silly examples and advice. For instance, if you don't mind being a pain in the rear, and need to satisfy your ego, take Dr Volkema's advice to go to a restaurant and "negotiate" a dish that is not on the menu. (Make sure you send back the wine.) Don't try it in Paris. He claims that a request to check in for a domestic flight at an international counter "is likely to be met with the utmost receptivity." On what planet? He advises us to insist on negotiating only with those who are authorized to close a deal and sign a contract. Don't try it in China. Dr Volkema has a friend who is presented as a good tactician because he takes out a book and makes people wait until he has finished reading. Unlike the other blather-mouthed tricks suggested by Dr Volkema, that one should keep you quiet while you feed your ego. But, don't try it anywhere.

Simple and essencial. Great book.
I had the opportunity to be Roger's student at a Negotiation Summer Course in IAG/PUC - Rio de Janeiro. This book captures the essence of his course. It contains a lot of negotiations tactics, behaviors and other precious hints. It is a very powerful and useful tool. Great book.

Packed With Knowledge!
As the title implies, this book gives you the tools you need - in the form of information and tactics - to negotiate effectively. No matter what line of work you're in, you'll benefit from the negotiation principles, strategies and styles that Roger J. Volkema presents in an easy-to-read format. He includes exercises that you can use to test your comprehension of the material and to start developing your skills. His chapters on ethics and cross-cultural negotiations, while general, provide an intellectual starting point for further investigations. This book will give you a basic foundation for effective negotiation, but if you're in a business that demands the skill, you'll want to follow up with some more advanced reading and training. Nevertheless, we [...] recommend this book to anyone who feels a little overwhelmed whenever they find themselves across the table from a negotiating adversary, whether it's your boss, an employee a customer or - gulp! - your spouse.