---
user-invocable: true
name: deal-negotiation
description: Negotiate business deals, contracts, and partnerships
tokens: ~400
cloud-ok: true
---

# Deal Negotiation
#claudeai

## When to Use
Negotiating a business deal - vendor contracts, customer pricing, partnerships, acquisitions.

## What I Need
- What's the deal?
- What do they want?
- What do you want?
- What's your leverage?

## The Framework

### 1. Preparation (80% of negotiation)

**Know before you start:**
- Your BATNA (Best Alternative)
- Their BATNA (what's their alternative?)
- Your walk-away point
- Your ideal outcome
- Their likely priorities

**Map the interests:**
| Party | Stated Position | Underlying Interest |
|-------|-----------------|---------------------|
| You | [What you're asking] | [Why you want it] |
| Them | [What they're asking] | [Why they want it] |

### 2. Negotiation Levers

Things you can trade:
- Price
- Payment terms (upfront vs over time)
- Scope of work
- Timeline
- Exclusivity
- Volume commitments
- Contract length
- Support/service levels
- Warranties/guarantees
- Termination terms

**The key:** Find things that cost you little but are valuable to them.

### 3. Tactics

**Anchor first (usually)**
The first number shapes the range. If you have good data, anchor first.

**Disaggregate, then trade**
Break the deal into components. Trade across them.
"I can't move on price, but I could extend payment terms."

**Use "if...then"**
"If you can commit to 12 months, then I can offer X pricing."

**Silence is power**
After making an offer, stop talking.

**Never accept first offer**
Even if it's good. They expect negotiation.

**Create a deadline**
"This pricing is valid through Friday."

### 4. Handling Tactics Used Against You

| Their Tactic | Your Response |
|--------------|---------------|
| "Take it or leave it" | "I understand. Let me think about it." (then wait) |
| "My hands are tied" | "Who would need to approve this?" |
| Good cop / bad cop | Ignore - talk to decision maker |
| Artificial urgency | "I need time to make a good decision." |
| Nibbling (last-min asks) | "That changes the deal. Let me reconsider the whole package." |
| Silence | Be comfortable with silence too |

### 5. Closing

**Trial close:**
"If we can agree on X, do we have a deal?"

**Summarize agreement:**
"So we're agreed on: [terms]. Is that right?"

**Get it in writing:**
"Great, I'll send over a summary/contract today."

## Output Format

```
## Negotiation Plan: [Deal Name]

**The Deal:**
[What's being negotiated]

**Their Position:**
- What they want: [Their ask]
- Why they want it: [Underlying interest]
- Their BATNA: [Alternative if no deal]

**Your Position:**
- Ideal outcome: [Best case]
- Acceptable outcome: [Would be satisfied]
- Walk-away point: [Won't go below]
- Your BATNA: [Alternative if no deal]

**Leverage Assessment:**
[Who has more leverage and why]

**Trading Items:**
| You Can Offer | You Want |
|---------------|----------|
| [Low-cost to you] | [High-value to you] |
| [Low-cost to you] | [High-value to you] |

**Strategy:**
1. Open with: [First move]
2. If they push back: [Response]
3. Fallback position: [Where to land]

**Key Phrases:**
- "[Scripted language for key moments]"
```

## Common Mistakes
- Not preparing / winging it
- Revealing your walk-away point
- Making it adversarial (it's problem-solving together)
- Getting emotional
- Negotiating with non-decision-makers
- Accepting first offer
- Thinking you have no leverage (you always have some)