Lesson 2
BATNA: Your Best Alternative
Find what you would really do if the deal fails, turn it into a walk-away point and strengthen it before you talk.
Builds on
If they say no, what happens on Monday?
Picture the meeting ending without a deal. What do you do next Monday? Take the other job. Keep driving the car you have. Stay with your current supplier. Carry on at your current pay. That action is your BATNA, your best alternative to a negotiated agreement. The term comes from Getting to Yes, by Roger Fisher and William Ury.
Your BATNA is the floor you stand on in a negotiation. The firmer it is, the more you can afford to ask for, and the less any single offer can push you around. A weak one isn’t a reason not to negotiate, but it is a reason to know exactly where it sits.