In the world of business, and not only, getting to what you want without drawing too much attention and without making the other party feel like a fool is a complicated game. To win, you need to make the counterpart feel like he’s winning, while you’re actually getting the desired deal. It’s a subtle art of verbal judo only a few can successfully operate with.
We’re all negotiating. And it’s not only in business. It’s in our homes – with our partners and kids. It’s on the street – with sellers and strangers who, out of nowhere, appear to offer us a “deal of a lifetime.” In our social circles – with our friends and family members. Or in other words, every time we’re interacting with another human being, we’re negotiating.
And since we’re all primarily focused on our own well-being and success, negotiation plays a crucial role in getting to what you want, and not letting others convince you of their rightfulness. Your ability to persuade others, without making them feel like they’re getting manipulated, is vital for your long-term triumph.
And if you’re wondering, “What are the best books on negotiation particularly for business?” you are in the right place.
The titles below are promoted by some of the world’s best CEOs and executives.
But it’s not only for people who are starting a business or asking for a raise.
These reads will give you the so-desperately desired verbal game-plan to successfully handle every social interaction regardless of the situation.
10 Great Books On Negotiation Particularly For Business:
- 1. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
- 2. Bargaining With The Devil by Robert Mnookin
- 3. Start with No by Jim Camp
- 4. Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury
- 5. You Can Negotiate Anything by Herb Cohen
- 6. How to Become a Rainmaker by Jeffrey J. Fox
- 7. Flipnosis by Kevin Dutton
- 8. Negotiation Genius by Deepak Malhotra, Max H. Bazerman
- 9. Bargaining for Advantage by G. Richard Shell
- 10. Why Women Don’t Ask by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
1. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
What’s the book about?
This is considered the best book for negotiating. Chris Voss, a former FBI special agent specializing in hostage situations, shares his tactics when dealing with kidnappers and bank robbers from around the world.
By acknowledging that we’re all crazy and irrational, he focuses not on trying to reason with others. Rather, on understanding how and what they feel, so he can push in that direction in a gentle way.
Thought-provoking quote:
“Great negotiators seek “No” because they know that’s often when the real negotiation begins.” Chris Voss
Get the book | Read my summary
2. Bargaining With The Devil by Robert Mnookin
What’s the book about?
Robert Mnookin, the director of the Harvard Negotiation Research Project, shares his tactics and maneuvers when dealing with conflict situations.
He’s one of the big shots of the conflict resolution field and in this book, he covers case studies from important events in history (some of these are: Winston Churchill’s negotiations with Hitler and Nelson Mandela’s negotiations with F.W) that aim to help you handle difficult conversations and make wise decisions.
Thought-provoking quote:
“What, after all, is a hero? A hero is someone who acts on behalf of a principle greater than himself, without regard to his own well-being. Consider the legends in every culture: A hero doesn’t negotiate. He fights. To the death if necessary! A hero is willing to risk it all.” Robert Mnookin
3. Start with No by Jim Camp
What’s the book about?
Jim Camp, in this book, offers the tools master negotiators use to win and to persuade others. According to the author, great negotiators don’t aim to hear “yes”, they prefer hearing “no”.
Start with NO present a simple system that, when applied, can help you avoid thinking about the end result – something out of your control – and focus your efforts on the emotions and the tasks that are within your reach. And, as you can imagine, it all starts with the word “no”.
Thought-provoking quote:
“Every negotiation is an agreement between two or more parties with all parties having the right to veto—the right to say “no.” Your job is not to be liked. It is to be respected and effective.” Jim Camp
4. Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury
What’s the book about?
Getting to Yes is a groundbreaking treatise on negotiation that totally changed the way negotiators thought about the field. Written by two deal-making veterans, Roger Fisher and William Ury, this is one of the best books on convincing others that your deal is the best deal.
Put simply, Getting to Yes offers a proven, step-by-step strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in every sort of conflict.
Thought-provoking quote:
“The ability to see the situation as the other side sees it, as difficult as it may be, is one of the most important skills a negotiator can possess.” Roger Fisher and William Ury
5. You Can Negotiate Anything by Herb Cohen
What’s the book about?
In this 1980 bestseller book, You Can Negotiate Anything, negotiation expert Herb Cohen tells the story of his first big business deal, when his company sent him to Japan to negotiate with a supplier.
Whether you’re dealing with your spouse, boss, department store, bank manager, children, solicitor, or best friend – negotiating is always taking place and the tactics proposed by Cohen can help you handle such situations better.
Thought-provoking quote:
“Your ability to negotiate determines whether you can or can’t influence your environment. It’s analyzing information, time, and power to affect behavior… the meeting of needs (yours and others’) to make things happen the way you want them to.” Herb Cohen
6. How to Become a Rainmaker by Jeffrey J. Fox
What’s the book about?
Deriving from the following logic: “Rainmakers are not born. They are made.” How to Become a Rainmaker is about transitioning from an average salesperson to a top dog in the industry.
The book does a great job in explaining the sales job not as a rational argument, but as an emotional framing job. Full of practical and – labeled by some – controversial tactics, this hard-hitting collection of sales advice will show you how to wow and win any customer.
Thought-provoking quote:
“The only thing customers care about are themselves and their problem. You are in front of the customer only because the customer believes, if only a little bit, that you might be able to better his or her situation.” Jeffrey J. Fox
7. Flipnosis by Kevin Dutton
What’s the book about?
According to the author, Kevin Dutton, a researcher at the Department of Experimental Psychology, negotiation usually starts when there is active resistance to what the other side is saying – he calls this “unbelief.”
Flipnosis is a persuasion technique that can instantly disarm even the most discerning mind. The book reads more like a series of case studies into persuasion from the biological level up to the social level. In short, it’s a how-to guide on persuasion based on neuroscience.
Thought-provoking quote:
“If you believe you can, or believe you can’t – either way you’re right.” Kevin Dutton
8. Negotiation Genius by Deepak Malhotra, Max H. Bazerman
What’s the book about?
In this great book, Geniation Genius, Harvard Business School professors Deepak Malhotra and Max Bazerman provide an insight into the common reasons why negotiators mistakenly call their counterparts crazy.
Drawing on decades of behavioral research plus the experience of thousands of business clients, the authors take the mystery out of preparing for and executing negotiations – whether they involve multimillion-dollar deals or improving your next salary offer.
Thought-provoking quote:
“Wise negotiators create a comprehensive list of what they are assuming and what they do not know prior to negotiation.” Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman
9. Bargaining for Advantage by G. Richard Shell
What’s the book about?
G. Richard Shell, the director of Wharton’s Executive Negotiation Workshop, offers a systematic, step-by-step approach on how to survive and thrive in the sometimes rough-and-tumble world of negotiation.
If you’re not comfortable with bargaining, but if you have to be. This book will inspire you to push yourself in order to feel more comfortable with this inevitable, still very human activity.
Thought-provoking quote:
“First, all deals that close are win-win deals. The two sides would not agree to a proposal unless they thought agreement was better for them than no deal.” G. Richard Shell
10. Why Women Don’t Ask by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
What’s the book about?
The core dynamic the book discusses is that while men are encouraged by society to pursue their goals (ask for raises, negotiate their pay when they’re hired, demand higher bonuses). Women, sadly, are encouraged to work hard and wait to be recognized.
The book starts by explaining how females in our generation and culture were raised to be passive and non-competitive, which works against them in their future careers.
If you’re taught that your circumstances cannot be changed, well, this means that you’ll never change them. Fortunately, Why Women Don’t Ask can help you shift your perspective for the better.
Thought-provoking quote:
“…our society still perpetuates rigid gender-based standards for behavior – standards that require women behave modestly and unselfishly and avoid promoting their own self interest.” Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
Some Closing Thoughts
People tend to approach negotiations with unease. After all, we’re mainly thought that we should focus on enjoying what we have and rarely pursue our own self-interest – especially if this involves manipulating others.
And while it’s OK to be humble. If you’re not verbally expressing your desires to others – especially in the business world. You’ll be quickly outmaneuvered by other players who are careless of how you feel and are not afraid to ask for what they think it’s fair for them.
The books above will show you how to ask for what you want and never settle for less.
You will learn how to negotiate if you’re starting a business, already running one, or if you just want to persuade others around you.
Do yourself a favor:
Join Going Further: A 13-day email series on how to keep progressing in a world tirelessly pushing toward regression. Great for people who feel stuck in the endless loop of not doing.
