The Post-Negotiation Review

After every negotiation — win or lose — run a 15-minute review. What worked? What surprised you? Which question made your voice wobble?

Keep a negotiation journal with each conversation's outcome, the techniques you used, and the lessons learned. After five entries, patterns emerge: the openings that landed, the moments you flinched, the levers you forgot to pull. Each review turns the next negotiation into practiced ground instead of a cold start.