Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

by Bruce Patton, Roger Fisher, William Ury

Book Overview

The key text on problem-solving negotiation-updated and revised Getting to Yes has helped millions of people learn a better way to negotiate. One of the primary business texts of the modern era, it is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140157352
• Release Date: December 1991
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

This book opened my mind to the possibility that compromise is possible.

I have used this philosophy to negotiate compromises between me and the "normals" as in not autistic. Tell me what you think I should do and I'll tell you what I can deliver. I'm not unreasonable and i expect others to be the same. Yeah, the book is kinda folksy but the point is straight up honesty can work.

From theory to practice

Most of the negotiation books out there give theory and a few scenarios to make their points. This book represents the much-needed practical side of really preparing to negotiate. If you have gone through "Getting to Yes", this book is the logical next step. The forms are incredibly detailed and you can use your judgement about how deep you need to go. For a mega-merger, you'll be filling out all of these forms and more. Asking for a raise or more responsibility on your job, you might not go so deep. The point is, though, these worksheets provide the thinking ahead that you need about your views and the potential views/reactions of your negotiating partners. The examples in the book are clear and span a variety of situations. I encourage anyone who wants to move from theory to practice to buy this book and use the forms. You will think more clearly about the variable road ahead in your next negotiation.

Nothing new from the book, but a helpful tool with high ROI

Getting to Yes is an excellent book on negotiating, one that can be applied to almost any situation. For example, I've used the principles from the book in negotiations for: - purchasing homes - new jobs/salary/compensation - purchasing enterprise software & business services - purchasing media - team/project situations - etc. While the workbook doesn't provide any new material, it does provide a helpful format for negotiation preparation. On any of the negotiations I listed above the book and workbook and have paid for themselves many times over. Is it fantastic reading? No. Is it worth it's weight in gold/platinum/diamonds? Absolutely.

This book is the foundation for successful negotiations

I read this book in an MBA course for Dispute Mediation. Although it was not a required reading, every text and article mentioned this book. You can easily read it in a weekend. Do not expect theory, paradigm, or lofty descriptions-this is cut to the chase stuff that lets you know many techniques for negotiating and helping the other side make a decision that is right for all involved. Some helpful key concepts include elimintating emotions from the process, or dealing with the emotional techniques that the other side may use against you. It also describes BATNA, or the best alternatives to a negotiated agreement-those agreements which may be the most realistic and beneficial terms for both sides. I think that the other book, getting past no, by the same author, is an additional reference that anyone considerring this book should also read as an excellent complementary text to the principles outlined in this classic.

I tried it and it really worked!

Overall, I like this book a lot and I found it very useful.Actually I didn't read through the whole book. Yet I did capture the key point of the book - 'Don't bargain over positions'. Then I used this principle-based negotiation in real life. For instance, when I am facing a challenge from my partner on my proposal, I won't fight back directly. I will first seek for the mutual interest, a common ground. Then I'll explain why I think my proposal can help achieve the mutual interest. Then I ask the opposing partner what he/she think and whether he/she wants to share any better proposal to achieve this mutual interest. If my/mutual interest can be satisfied, yet my partner has a better way to do it, then why not change my own proposal? I tried this approach several times and they all worked out pretty well. Most of the times I successfully convinced my partner without damaging relationship. A few times I changed my position yet I was still happy because I still had my interest satisfied.Net, this book is really useful and recommend to BUY for everyone.

A Great Way to Overcome Communications Stalls

In virtually all circumstances where people are working together, they come to agreement in ways that short-change the interests of everyone involved. This landmark book shows practical ways to find out what other people want, and to devise better alternatives that create a "win" for everyone. The authors do a great job of overcoming the preconception that many hold that working on problems means that you have to be unpleasant. The advice to be hard on the problems and easy on the people (building a relationship) is a key concept that everyone can use. I have found this book to be one of the most helpful that I have every read, and I cite its lessons in my own book. I recently had a chance to use these principles in a negotiating workshop with veteran negotiators, and I was struck by how few people apply the lessons of GETTING TO YES. You will vastly improve your life if you read and practice the ideas in GETTING TO YES.