70 How to Become a Better Negotiator

agreements. And make sure that they find their way into the final
agreement. ‘‘So, if I agree to buy the house, you’ll repair the back-
yard fence and remove the old oil tank from the cellar before the
closing, is that right?’’ Then visibly write it down. Let the other side
know you’re keeping track of those small agreements. You can even
provide copies of all the small agreements you both have made
during negotiations.
Make sure you have an agreement that gives everyone an incen-
tive to comply with its terms. There should be negative conse-
quences for noncompliance, for example, a financial penalty for
not delivering materials on time. Document the agreement and ob-
tain sign-offs by decision makers. Then stay in touch with the other
party while the agreement is implemented.

TACTICS
Now that you understand the five steps that most negotiations go
through, let’s consider some practical tactics you can employ to
come out with the deal you want. There’s nothing mysterious
about these, and they are not by any means the only negotiating
tactics available. But taken together they can give you a big advan-
tage. These tactics are:

Framing the issue

Setting an anchor price
Offering alternative deals
Using time to advantage
Closing the deal

Framing the Issue

People operate with mental frameworks that shape perceived real-
ity. Their framework is the lens through which they see things. For
example, in describing the state of the nation, an economist will

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