How to Negotiate Price Without Being a Jerk

Some tips I've picked up include:

* Emphasize that the goal is fairness. You're not negotiating out of a sense of greed, just a desire that the transaction be fair.

* Focus more on having a good BATNA (best alternative to the negotiated agreement) than on being good at negotiating. In particular, this means try to have multiple offers before you start negotiating any of them. Some of my most stress-free negotiations have been when I essentially just acted as an intermediary middleman between two (or more) parties.

* The outcome of the negotiation is dependent on the least skilled negotiator, not the most skilled. Some of my most stressful negotiations have been against people who cared more about getting the proper respect or not losing face vs getting a good outcome. It's gotten to the point where it's just too stressful negotiating with bad negotiators. It's easier to just say no.

Key take-away: It's only business. Understand that in most salary/price negotiations the other party has a range in mind. They're going to start with the end of the range that's most beneficial to them (ie, low end if it's their money, high end if it's your money). Going into the negotiation you, too, should have a range in mind.

The goal of the negotiation is to find the sweet spot that fits both ranges. There shouldn't be anything personal about it (as in the author's hilarious example).

If your ranges don't converge, then you're in the wrong meeting.

Omg so many horrible UI ticks today it's driving me crazy! Pro tip: Don't add falling snow to a website with a white background. I thought I was having a stroke for a second.