Shake Hands with the Devil: How to Master Life’s Negotiations from Hell

The book presents practical steps that you can use to become more comfortable when dealing with difficult negotiations and confrontations, including how to plan for a negotiation, how to decide on strategies to use going in, how to confront the issues in the agreeable way, and how to build trust. And it provides tools to help you avoid being burned when dealing with a ruthless boss or a demanding customer. You will learn to deal with the devils you encounter in an informed, firm, and respectful manner that will help you get what you need to be successful and hold onto your peace of mind. Chapter 1 takes you through the Seven Steps out of Negotiating Hell. These steps give you the basics of negotiating in hellish situations. Subsequent chapters guide you through the nine most hellish negotiations you’ll face in your professional or personal life inside your organization, outside your organization, and in everyday life. Chapter 2 focuses on Innies, or hellish negotiations within your own organization, such as dealing with a hellish boss or an employee who is slacking off. Chapter 3 deals with Outies, or hellish negotiations outside your organization, including those with difficult customers and suppliers and those from everyday life with a ruthless attorney or real estate broker. Chapter 4 addresses hellish negotiations with people who are different from you, whether they are insiders or outsiders. It also covers negotiating electronically, or “e-negotiating.”