The BATNA Advantage

Your BATNA - your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement - is a major source of negotiating confidence. When your walkaway option is real, you can evaluate the deal instead of clinging to it.

Before any negotiation, clearly define your BATNA: what happens if this deal falls through? If your alternative is weak, improve it before negotiating. Sometimes the best preparation is not rehearsing arguments but strengthening your position with real alternatives you can use as leverage.