Many women wish they were better negotiators. Women are often taught to defer or manipulate, but few are taught how to negotiate effectively. Most negotiating books are written for men. They focus on tactics and winning. They focus almost exclusively on outcome. Women negotiate differently than men and think about negotiations differently. To understand these differences, you must recognize that negotiations involve not only outcomes, but also, relationships. All negotiations can be viewed as falling somewhere on a continuum in terms of these two dimensions. This book is written specifically for women. It acknowledges the fact that women negotiate all day long but few feel entirely comfortable with their skills as negotiators.
Women negotiate with husbands about who will make breakfast for the kids, what kind of car to purchase and whether to buy a new refrigerator or just fix the old one; they negotiate with boyfriends about where they will go on vacation and whether to have a big wedding or an intimate affair; they negotiate with their boss about getting the raise they deserve, the time off they need or the assignment they want; they negotiate with customers and vendors about price and other terms; they negotiate with friends about where to go for dinner and with their children about curfew; they negotiate when they buy a car, sell a house or get a divorce; they negotiate with studio heads for millions of dollars to create a new film and they negotiate with world leaders to establish peace. This book features real-life negotiation strategies that women can embrace and adopt in order to get what they want while honoring their spirit and maintaining relationships. The tactics and techniques taught in this book fall into one of three categories: collaborate, convince, create.
The book covers a broad range of business and personal topics including how to find the advantage when negotiating with men and how to survive and prosper when negotiating with other women.