[From the jacket of the hard cover edition]

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a negotiation, wondering, Am I coming on too strong – do I risk blowing the deal? Or, Am I compromising too soon – will I end up with the short end of the stick? For anyone who has ever tried to make a deal, reach an agreement, close a sale, or negotiate in other everyday business situations, Smart Negotiating shows you how to avoid the pitfalls and achieve your goals – without being either a bully or a wimp.

The author, James C. Freund, is no ivory-tower theorist spouting abstract hypotheses. He is a skilled, seasoned lawyer who negotiates for a living, and the realistic techniques in Smart Negotiating have been proven to be effective in practical bargaining situations. In his view, neither the hard-nosed competitive style of bargaining nor the cooperative cards-on-the-table approach does the trick in the real world. Aggressive tactics fail to intimidate and seldom generate the concessions you need to produce a deal, while the chances of finding an adversary who is equally commited to the cooperative mode – and who won't try to take advantage of the situation – are slim.

Smart Negotiating emphasizes a game-plan approach that strikes a balance between striving for advantage and compromising too quickly. The author explains the basic negotiating skills – including the use of key leverage factors, how to obtain useful information from the other side without divulging your own secrets, the need to achieve credibility, and the importance of good judgment. He then provides the basics of his game-plan approach: determine in advance your realistic expectations on key bargaining issues; select appropriate starting points on these issues; devise constructive concession patterns; and formulate the terms of the ultimate compromise. He also offers sage advice on how best to motivate the other side, how to deal with bluffs and other gambits, when to hold firm, and when to shake hands.

Smart Negotiating brings you right into simulated negotiations with vivid real-world examples. At one moment you are standing on one side of the bargaining table and at the next you are switching sides to see how the other party is thinking. Fresh, clever, and practical, it will help anyone to succeed at negotiating a deal.

Comments on Smart Negotiating

"Jim Freund is a grand master negotiator. In his new book he tells all about big deals, small deals, dealing with the boss for a raise – everything that will help you benefit from the master's coaching. Smart Negotiating is must reading for lawyers, bankers, Realtors, indeed everyone who is involved in business transactions."

– Martin Lipton, partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

"Anyone who has read Smart Negotiating, whether he be a novice or expert, will conduct his next negotiation differently and, I believe, more successfully. It is an indispensable book by a great master of the art of negotiating."

– Judge Simon H. Rifkind, former senior partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

"Jim Freund has lived a storied life as a lawyer and a citizen. He has seen it all, done it all, and now shares with all of us what he has learned about the art (even joy) of negotiating. This beautifully written book is a gem, sure to help both the expert and novice deal with just about every life situation."

– John D. Feerick, professor and former Dean, Fordham University School of Law

I've sat on both sides of the table with Jim Freund, who's a crackerjack negotiator and lawyer. Jim also happens to be an excellent teacher and writer, and Smart Negotiating captures the essence of his dynamic technique, with the reader actively participating in the simulated negotiations. Freund's practical approach provides both a guided tour through the subject for less experienced negotiators, and a number of valuable pointers that even experienced hands like me can profit from. Business negotiations will be more productive once the participants grasp the essential skills highlighted in Smart Negotiating and learn to utilize Freund's 'game-plan' approach."

– Willard J. Overlock, Jr., partner, Goldman, Sachs & Co.

"Negotiating pro James C. Freund has done it again with his book, which discusses how to negotiate from A to Z. It can be used as an authoritative guide to negotiating a new family home or to purchasing a multibillion-dollar corporation. We should all expect to have negotiating pros on both sides of the table from now on because of this book. Freund is careful to emphasize the most fundamental principle in all negotiations, namely, the acquisition of knowledge and information is absolutely essential."

– Arthur R. Taylor, Dean, Fordham University Graduate School of Business Administration

"A well-organized primer for anyone who finds the bargaining process stressful... [Freund] offers advice that works in any business situation."

– Working Woman