" Preface Negotiation may seem a daunting word, but at its core it is only the interactive process of bargaining, something designed to secure a good deal. Whether it happens in sales (strictly after someone is persuaded to buy), for personal reasons (for example, negotiating a pay rise), or in political, corporate or international situations, the way it works is always similar. It is to a degree a complex process, though the range of different stages and techniques are all individually manageable. Negotiation is not an argument, almost certainly demands compromise and also has a ritual aspect to it; it has to be gone about in the right way if it is to be successful. The results of a successful negotiation are many and varied: it can help make things happen, prompt collaboration, save or make money and a successful negotiator has a valuable skill to use and deploy in personal and work life. An overall understanding of the two and fro process involved is the first step to making it work. So let's start by focussing on the fundamental principles. Nothing sums it up better than the following (posted on the internet).