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Barker is the author of Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Be nice.

We often associate negotiation with being tough or manipulative. While there are certainly situations where that’s the case, a great deal of the recent research says we can improve our results by thinking more about making friends than waging war.

A great deal of what it takes to influence others, gain their compliance and lead successful negotiations is just good advice on how to be a decent person.

Could you be taken advantage of? Yes, but in the long run a good reputation pays off. And if you find that being nice isn’t working, then there is always the darker side of negotiation technique.

For more on how to be a better negotiator, from the former lead international hostage for the FBI, click here.

This piece originally appeared on Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

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