Wish-Want-Walk
There we were, face -to-face, man-to-man, ready for the first round of intense negotiations. I knew that if I couldn't get the whole package, I at the very least, needed to walk away with the signed Jeff Treadway card from 89, the unopened can of 1985 Jolt, the entire series DVD collection of The Rifleman, and most importantly, the pick Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham used on the 2004 Social Distortion tour - his first after taking over for Dennis Danell (R.I.P.). I was willing to part with my Prairie Home Companion ticket stub and the original computer version of the game Frogger, but no way was I letting go of my 1st edition copy of The Indian in the Cupboard or my bright orange can of Murray's Pomade.
Damn it!!! Not only did I give up the pomade, but I didn't even get the Jeff Treadway. I played that negotiation as well as Jeter goes to his left...as well as Alberto Gonzales remembers ANY conversation he's had in the last...well, ever. What now? Wait...you say there's a book I need to read? A book that will help me acquire a James Carville head razor for two drops of any hippie's patchouli? And it's called, Fearless Negotiating??? Sign me up because I also need to unload two cases of untouched popcorn flavor Jelly Bellys.
Michael Donaldson knows negotiating. He's one of the entertainment industries sought-after lawyers, and now he wants to help us know the secrets of good negotiating. Well, I guess they are not secrets since they are published in a book, so let's call it a step-by-step process for getting what we want. Donaldson calls the process the Wish-Want-Walk method.
- WISH - set a goal for the negotiation
- WANT - know where the market is most likely to push the results
- WALK - draw the line that will not be crossed
The key is to establish these three principles before you ever step foot in a negotiation. Know these three things like you know your child's middle name when he misbehaves. By doing this, Donaldson says you'll be able to "erase your fears and preconceptions and tap into the master negotiator that lives within you," and ultimately achieve "more rewarding, meaningful, and mutually satisfying business and personal relationships and outcomes."
The book doesn't just hand you a three step process, it dives into each step and offers advice on "when to start the bidding, when to quit while you are ahead, and when to cut your losses." See if I had read this book beforehand, I wouldn't have had to part with my bookmark used by Mike Tyson - the one he used while reading Chicken Soup for the Psychopath's Soul - while passing time in his prison cell. And all I got back was Clint Howard's certificate for being "The Ugliest Coat-Tailing Brother of a Famous and Successful Actor/Director." I was robbed!
If you want to get a head start on picking Donaldson's brain, go check out www.wishwantwalk.com. There's some good stuff over there.
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