Negotiation impacts every aspect of our lives, from our relationships with family members and neighbors, to the transactions we make as customers, to the deals we strike on the job. Yet it’s a skill too often ignored. For many, the prospect of negotiating makes them uncomfortable, nervous, even frightened. This plague of “negotiaphobia” is what The One Minute Negotiator will remedy.

Don Hutson and George Lucas use an engaging business parable to tell the story of a high-level sales professional who learns to master a simple yet profound approach to negotiations, one that can be applied to any situation: getting the best loaner car while your car is in the shop, seeking a fair solution after a hotel messes up your reservation, closing a deal to get your product in a big-box retail store, settling on the price for your new home in short, any transaction.

The key is flexibility. Most books on negotiation preach one of two gospels: thou shalt collaborate or thou shalt compete. Either everybody works together toward a common goal, or the process is basically adversarial. The problem is no two negotiations are alike—one strategy cannot fit all. The One Minute Negotiator teaches you four potential strategies and shows how to choose the one best suited to the situation, your own inclinations, and the strategy being used by the other side.

Besides the obvious benefits, conquering negotiaphobia will reduce your stress level. You’ll never walk away thinking about what you should have asked for or might have gotten. Instead, with the tools Hutson and Lucas provide you can confidently and consistently guide any negotiation to the best possible conclusion.