“It’s take it or leave it” reflects how many procurement specialists view negotiations with SaaS providers, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In my blog, I explain how you can create leverage and negotiate more effectively with even the biggest SaaS players.

Most high-stakes professions rely on checklists; pilots, surgeons, and the military use them. Yet most negotiators still wing it. Why? Here is my checklist and a few thoughts on why checklists are essential for building your negotiation craft.

Extreme opening demands in negotiations are rarely sincere; they are usually meant to distort expectations and exert control. This blog explains the psychology behind such tactics and provides a playbook for countering them.

In this blog post, I provide a playbook for dealing with hostile negotiators and staying in control of your negotiation.

Not everyone plays fair. Here are four negotiators you may encounter and how to defend against them.

Negotiations start before we have a disagreement about something. Skilled negotiators deploy their tools of persuasion before the other party gets to the negotiation table.

Opening positions in negotiations have been shown to exert considerable influence over the eventual outcome. Which approach really works best, asking for the moon or being reasonable?

Negotiators are masters at sidestepping questions and dangling baited hooks in front of their opponents to divert their attention. Unless we have a clear purpose, we risk getting played like a puppet.

Countering every point does not make us persuasive. Active listening is a superpower.

Commitment to concession protocol – a playbook for unlocking difficult negotiations. High-level commitments are easier to secure than agreements on specific points. Start with securing a clear commitment to a guiding principle.