According to Dr. Alison Fragale, even seasoned negotiators leave value on the table during a negotiation. As Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at MBA@UNC, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s online MBA program, Fragale has seen first hand the impact ineffective negotiation tactics can have on a business’ bottom line. In a blog post for MBA@UNC, Fragale outlined five negotiating tips for desired outcomes.

Build a Sense of Trust

In order for a win-win negotiation to transpire, both parties must trust each other. "Revealing information creates feelings of vulnerability," Fragale said. "Can I trust you? Will you use my disclosures against me?" Building trust will help you achieve the results you want based on mutual preferences and priorities.

Understand Your Counterpart’s Interests

You must understand what your counterpart wants in order to create value for both sides. Fragale suggests asking “why” questions. "'Why' questions elicit important information pertaining to the other party’s interests," she said. If you are interested in purchasing someone’s iPad, they may state that they want the most money possible, but after asking more questions you discover that they would prefer a fast transaction to pay off their student loan bill.

Create Value for All Parties Involved

Develop a mutually satisfying solution for both sides. A distributive negotiation might focus on price, but an integrative negotiation, which Fragale refers to as the most effective form of negotiation, would incorporate other issues like the speed of the transaction, forms of payment and other non-monetary issues. Using the above example, you could come to a win-win negotiation by saying you will pay less for the iPad, but in cash that day. This ensures the transaction moves faster and you get a lower price.

Offer Package Deals

You don’t have to make a single-issue offer. Instead, try offering a package deal. Using the above example, the owner of the iPad could counter your offer and say he wants you to pay his original price, but he will throw in some software you want for free. You get more value for the same amount of money, and he gets the money he needs.

Be the First to Make the Offer

If you act first, you have an advantage. You have the power to set expectations for the duration of the negotiation. When you make your first offer, you must be careful not to skew too far in your favor or be too reasonable. Listen to your counterpart’s priorities and develop your offer based on that information. Fragale suggests making a precise offer rather than using round numbers. "Precise numbers prime us to think about nickels and dimes rather than dollars," she said. "Precise numbers may also signal that the asker puts more thought into the offer and is closer to his or her bottom line."

Leave the negotiation table happy by following these five effective tips from Dr. Alison Fragale.


According to Dr. Alison Fragale, even seasoned negotiators leave value on the table during a negotiation. As Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at MBA@UNC, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s online MBA program, Fragale has seen first hand the impact ineffective negotiation tactics can have on a business’ bottom line. In a blog post for MBA@UNC, Fragale outlined five negotiating tips for desired outcomes.

Build a Sense of Trust

In order for a win-win negotiation to transpire, both parties must trust each other. "Revealing information creates feelings of vulnerability," Fragale said. "Can I trust you? Will you use my disclosures against me?" Building trust will help you achieve the results you want based on mutual preferences and priorities.

Understand Your Counterpart’s Interests

You must understand what your counterpart wants in order to create value for both sides. Fragale suggests asking “why” questions. "'Why' questions elicit important information pertaining to the other party’s interests," she said. If you are interested in purchasing someone’s iPad, they may state that they want the most money possible, but after asking more questions you discover that they would prefer a fast transaction to pay off their student loan bill.

Create Value for All Parties Involved

Develop a mutually satisfying solution for both sides. A distributive negotiation might focus on price, but an integrative negotiation, which Fragale refers to as the most effective form of negotiation, would incorporate other issues like the speed of the transaction, forms of payment and other non-monetary issues. Using the above example, you could come to a win-win negotiation by saying you will pay less for the iPad, but in cash that day. This ensures the transaction moves faster and you get a lower price.

Offer Package Deals

You don’t have to make a single-issue offer. Instead, try offering a package deal. Using the above example, the owner of the iPad could counter your offer and say he wants you to pay his original price, but he will throw in some software you want for free. You get more value for the same amount of money, and he gets the money he needs.

Be the First to Make the Offer

If you act first, you have an advantage. You have the power to set expectations for the duration of the negotiation. When you make your first offer, you must be careful not to skew too far in your favor or be too reasonable. Listen to your counterpart’s priorities and develop your offer based on that information. Fragale suggests making a precise offer rather than using round numbers. "Precise numbers prime us to think about nickels and dimes rather than dollars," she said. "Precise numbers may also signal that the asker puts more thought into the offer and is closer to his or her bottom line."

Leave the negotiation table happy by following these five effective tips from Dr. Alison Fragale.