Your Walk-Away Point: How to Know When a Deal Isn't Worth Taking
Work out your walk-away point in 4 steps: list your alternatives, pick the best real one, turn it into a number, and write it down before you talk.
Negotiation
Negotiating everyday deals, work requests and business terms with less stress and better results.
Negotiation basics
The Five Negotiation Styles: Which One Do You Default To?
The 5 negotiation styles, from competing to accommodating: where the Thomas-Kilmann model comes from, a quick self-check, and when each style fits.
Interests vs. Positions: The Idea That Changes Most Negotiations
Positions are what people ask for; interests are why. How 2 kinds of question, why and what if, uncover interests and turn them into better deals.
How to Negotiate: A Research-Backed Guide for Everyday Life
How to negotiate rent, prices, fees and deadlines in 7 steps, from knowing your walk-away point to opening offers, fair trades and when to just pay.
Offers, anchors and concessions
How to Respond to a Lowball Offer Without Losing the Deal
A lowball offer is an opening move, not an insult. 5 steps and sample wording to reply without countering off their number or losing the buyer.
Should You Make the First Offer? What the Research Says
Making the first offer usually pays in simple price haggles. A 2025 review of the research shows when to open, when to wait and what a bold number costs.
Preparing to negotiate
How to Prepare for a Negotiation in 30 Minutes
How to prepare for a negotiation in 30 minutes: 6 timed steps, from a target and a limit to a fair price range and your first two sentences.
The psychology of negotiation
Negotiation Anxiety: How to Stay Calm When the Stakes Feel High
Lab studies link nerves to lower offers, faster replies and early exits. 5 ways to stop negotiation anxiety setting your price, and the evidence for each.
Negotiating across cultures and channels
Negotiating by Email: What to Write and What to Avoid
Negotiating by email gives you time and a written record but hides your tone. What a review of 98 studies found, plus sample lines for each stage.
Negotiating at work (beyond pay)
How to Negotiate Your Workload With Your Manager
How to talk to your manager about workload in 5 steps: list your tasks, show the trade-offs, ask for a ranking, offer options and confirm by email.
Negotiating Flexible or Remote Work: Making the Case
How to ask for flexible working in 5 steps: name the exact pattern, frame it around the work, answer your manager's worries, offer a trial and bring fallbacks.
Everyday money negotiations
How to Negotiate Rent With a Landlord
How to negotiate rent on a new lease or at renewal in 6 steps: check local rules, compare rents, time the ask and offer what a landlord values.
How to Negotiate the Price of a Car, New or Used
How to negotiate a car price in 6 steps: research the market, get a loan quote first, agree the out-the-door price, then handle trade-in and add-ons.
Negotiating Subscriptions and Cancellations: Getting Retention Offers
How to negotiate bills for phone, broadband, insurance, streaming and gyms in 5 steps: check new-customer prices, ask to leave, get it in writing or switch.
Tactics and difficult negotiations
Hardball Tactics: How to Recognize and Respond to Them
8 hardball negotiation tactics, from extreme anchors to fake deadlines and nibbling: how to spot each one and a calm reply that keeps the talk on track.
Freelancers and small businesses
How to Set and Negotiate Freelance Rates
How to negotiate freelance rates in 4 steps: work out your minimum rate, check market rates, quote with options, and trade scope or terms before price.