From September 2022, I have developed a reading habit during my commutes to work and want to share by experiences in a guide to Leverage on your Negotiation Skills. Having conducted some negotiation trainings and executed lots of negotiations, I think it in general is way too easy feeling comfortable with one’s performance, so I wanted to challenge myself. My goals were/are to keep up with my own learning, and to transform the findings into my negotiation trainings I do for others. Since September, the book pile has grown by adding the titles below to the list (at the bottom is the previous books added for reference).

A Guide to Leverage on your Negotiation Skills while Commuting

• Ask for more, by Alexandra Carter
• The Kremlin school of negotiation, by Igor Ryzov
• HBR top 10 on negotiation, by multiple authors 
• Negotiate it!, by Lynn Price
• Negotiate more! (Förhandla mer!), by Carl Fhager
• Difficult conversations, by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen
• Rejection proof, by Jia Jiang
• The culture map, by Erin Meyer
• The power of habit (Vanans Makt), by Charles Duhigg

 Have you read any of them?

What was the result?

I have read seventeen books from the start back in September. Some were from my own library, some are new. The ones about negotiation have in a way become bread and butter; It’s a lot of fun comparing approaches, strategies, and the general content, as the authors tend to differ. So far, I have gained a total of +1000 insights, of which I have assessed ~100 as key.

These insights are e.g., methods, processes, facts, research, stories, or general opinions. Also, one new full day training and one short lecture on a collaborative approach have been made. Currently, a training on negotiation competition and a lecture on mediation are under development. Anything you would like to know more about? I have added a few short comments and personal reflections about some of the books below:

• Getting to Yes and the Harvard Negotiation Project in general are referred to the most, but Start with No is the second most referred to and in the most positive manner. In my opinion, Jim Camp’s book has been the best so far.
• Never Split the Difference was among the first books and was my wake-up call, in regard to the advantages of a collaborative approach in e.g., complex situations.
• Ask for More was the biggest positive surprise. Alexandra Carter has made a great book with a good structure, clear roadmap and great insights. 
• Negotiation Genius, Getting More and The Kremlin School of Negotiation were most informative. They are all packed with lots of insights, but with very different approaches in my opinion; Igor Ryzov has made an intriguing book around an interesting take on the competitive approach, Stuart Diamon has made good contender to Start with No, and Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman have with Negotiation Genius in short made a negotiation method bible.
• Of the non-negotiation books, the Culture Map was most fun to read, followed by The Power of Habit.

Starting with No – playlist at Youtube

Leverage on your Negotiation Skills while Commuting – Next steps?

Simplified, I will continue with the continuous learning and daily challenges. I like books; read a book once and you get knowledge, read it twice and you get more. Search and find. So I assess my next steps are;  

1. Find more literature/sources (What are your tips?)
2. Test the new trainings (I am a bit reluctant using the competitive approach, but sometime there is a limited choice to it. So, it will be a fun challenge) 
3. Cleans the insights gained (The collected insights need to be categorized, standardized, verified, enriched with my previous material, and released to practices and trainings)

Interested in Leverage on your Negotiation Skills? How would you keep this up? Would you like to know more? Which are your next steps? 

Thank you for reading!

Yours sincerely, Johan Aaro

((follow Johan Aaro at LinkedIn and provide your insights and comments.))

Previous books from September to December:

• Getting More, by Stuart Diamond
• Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss
• How to Become a Rainmaker, by Jeffrey J. Fox
• Getting to Yes, by William Ury and Robert Fisher
• The Negotiation Book, by Steve Gates
• Start with No, by Jim Camp
• Nonverbal Communication, by Albert Mehrabian
• Negotiation Genius, by Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman

Ted talk with Chris Voss – from Youtube

Real Life buyer negotiation tips.

Learn How to Source´s provider of Negotiation tips is Dave Barr, The Real Life Buyer, a Purchasing Professional for over 20 years. It is now with this knowledge and experience that Dave feels compelled to help others. He wants YOU to spend your own, or your company’s money, wisely and safely. He will do his best to help and support you on your purchasing and spending journey and he welcomes your support and encouragement in this venture.

Dave provides negotiation hands-on tips collected during his procurement career in multi-national companies.

In the course Dave gives tips about bracketing and walking away, about asking difficult questions, about always managing relationships, about knowing your interests and what to give and not to give away, in short about hands-on negotiation methods. Make Dave’s experience your knowledge.

About Learn How to Source.

Learn How to Source is an online platform based in Sweden, offering a range of procurement courses accessible globally. It serves as a community where procurement experts share their knowledge through online courses, designed for various experience levels from introductory to expert. 

Courses are concise, about 30 minutes each, and cover different aspects of procurement, tailored for different buyer roles. The courses focus on practical knowledge, presented by seasoned professionals, and include quizzes and certificates. They can be accessed from any device, emphasizing microlearning for flexibility and efficiency.

Note: Illustration to the blogpost “Leverage on your Negotiation Skills while Commuting” are photos taken by Johan Aaro.