Top Negotiation Quotes

Collection of negotiation quotes from top business minds.

• “The most difficult thing in any negotiation, almost, is making sure that you strip it of the emotion and deal with the facts.” ~ Howard Baker
• “A negotiator should observe everything. You must be part Sherlock Holmes, part Sigmund Freud.” ~ Victor Kiam
• “You have to persuade yourself that you absolutely don’t care what happens. If you don’t care, you’ve won. I absolutely promise you, in every serious negotiation, the man or woman who doesn’t care is going to win.” ~ Felix Dennis.

“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” ~John F. Kennedy

• “You must never try to make all the money that’s in a deal. Let the other fellow make some money too, because if you have a reputation for always making all the money, you won’t have many deals.” ~J. Paul Getty
• “Negotiation is not a policy. It’s a technique. It’s something you use when it’s to your advantage, and something that you don’t use when it’s not to your advantage.” ~ John Bolton.
• “If you are good enough to compete for a top-level corporate job, you should be smart enough to know what the job pays the other gender and negotiate accordingly. If you are an employer, and you don’t pay an employee market wages, regardless of gender or orientation, you will end up with what you deserve.” ~Mark Cuban
• “Never cut what you can untie.” ~ Joseph Joubert

“The worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate to make it. That makes the other guy smell blood, and then you’re dead.” ~Donald Trump

• “During a negotiation, it would be wise not to take anything personally. If you leave personalities out of it, you will be able to see opportunities more objectively.” ~ Brian Koslow
• “Know what you want to achieve prior to starting to negotiate. It’s the golden rule but the one most people fail to heed. Without a plan, you allow the opposing party to define your goals instead of the other way around.” ~ Ivanka Trump
• “This is a classic negotiation technique. It’s a gentle, soft indication of your disapproval and a great way to keep negotiating. Count to 10. By then, the other person usually will start talking and may very well make a higher offer.” ~Bill Coleman

“The most critical thing in a negotiation is to get inside your opponent’s head and figure out what he really wants.” ~Jacob Lew

• “During a negotiation, it would be wise not to take anything personally. If you leave personalities out of it, you will be able to see opportunities more objectively.” ~Brian Koslow
• “Negotiations are worthless if neither party is willing to budge.” ~ Dave Waters
• “One of the best ways to persuade others is by listening to them.”  ~ Dean Rusk

“You do not get what you want. You get what you negotiate.” ~Harvey Mackay

• “Anger can be an effective negotiating tool, but only as a calculated act, never as a reaction.” ~Mark McCormack
• “You have to persuade yourself that you absolutely don’t care what happens. If you don’t care, you’ve won. I absolutely promise you, in every serious negotiation, the man or woman who doesn’t care is going to win.” ~ Felix Dennis
• “The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people half way.” ~ Henry Boyle.

“Place a higher priority on discovering what a win looks like for the other person.” ~Harvey Robbins

• “So much of life is a negotiation – so even if you’re not in business, you have opportunities to practice all around you.” ~Kevin O’Leary
• “The best move you can make in negotiation is to think of an incentive the other person hasn’t even thought of – and then meet it.” ~ Eli Broad
• “No problem is so deep that it cannot be overcome, given the will of all parties, through discussion and negotiation rather than force and violence.” ~Nelson Mandela

“Information is a negotiator’s greatest weapon.” ~Victor Kiam

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