Best-Selling Author Releases New Book on How to Negotiate Successfully
EVANSTON, Ill.: In her new book, Professor Leigh Thompson, an award-winning author and professor at Kellogg School of Management, provides proven techniques to deliver better outcomes for all parties during any negotiation. In "Negotiating the Sweet Spot: The Art of Leaving Nothing on the Table" (Harper Collins, 2020), Thompson explains how to find the "sweet spot" in negotiations throughout life and in business.
"In both professional and personal settings, I'm frequently asked for quick tips or advice to help someone through a pressing negotiation. I frequently hear the common misconception that win-win means 'even-Steven' or 'taking one for the team'," said Thompson. "In my new book, I reveal new hacks to help readers find the 'sweet spot' that can measurably enhance relational and economic value for everyone involved. What's more, you don't have to be a senior manager or licensed clinician to successfully use these strategies."
Because everyone negotiates every day at the kitchen table, the conference room, and now, in virtual meetings, Thompson says it is important to get it right. To do so, she walks people of all experience levels through simple techniques that yield better outcomes and uncover the hidden value that exists. Through her research, Thompson finds people leave approximately 20 percent of potential mutual gains untapped in any negotiation, which means they're losing 20 percent of the potential gain. Finding that extra 20 percent is what Thompson calls the "sweet spot," a skill that can be learned.
In "Negotiating the Sweet Spot: The Art of Leaving Nothing on the Table," Thompson shares best practices and tools – or hacks – to use in negotiations and conflict situations with many of the following benefits:
- Learn how to find the "sweet spot" in contentious situations
- Learn strategies that preserve relationships in personal and workplace conflicts
- Know how to diffuse emotional situations and rebuild trust
- Gain a personal action plan for putting the strategies to use right away in personal, workplace, and virtual situations.
More about Leigh Thompson
Dr. Leigh Thompson is a professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she teaches MBA and executive education courses, including Leading High-Impact Teams, Constructive Collaboration and High-Performance Negotiation Skills. Thompson integrates her extensive research in the field of negotiation and conflict along with her training as a counselor to offer-up a playbook for finding the sweet spot in life's toughest situations. She is the author of ten books including "The Truth about Negotiations" and "Creative Conspiracy: The New Rules of Breakthrough Collaboration."
