We have established that closing sales and winning deals are necessary for business. That’s the art of negotiation. It takes a lot of savvy, skills, training, exposure and insights to hone your competence on persuasion and end with success on your pitches.
To arm you with more learnings and additional knowledge for your negotiation acumen, we listed down ten books on persuasion. You can apply a thing or two (surely, more) from these materials to your sales transactions or other forms of business bargaining. You can even translate them to the day-to-day activities in your personal life.
The Art of Closing Any Deal: How to Be a Master Closer in Everything You Do
by James W. Pickens
Author James W. Pickens, a sales guru, covers in this book concepts like customer attitude, customer objections, closing techniques and closer pressure, among other things. Identifying blocks and obstacles along the way enables you to find means to get around them, break them or turn them to your advantage so that you can achieve your final close.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
When you are stuck in crucial situations where an important matter, such as a relationship is at stake, you have to find a way to establish a dialogue with people concerned. It may be a tough hole to escape, but the book will provide you with tools on how to approach such circumstances and achieve appropriate results.
How to Win Friends & Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie’s self-help book was first published in 1936 and has become a source of inspiration and advice to readers who want to learn how to win people. It contains topics on how to handle different kinds of people, gain people to subscribe to your way of thinking, become a leader, and make your personal life happier than ever.
Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People
by G. Richard Shell
Professor G. Richard Shell is the director of the world-renowned Wharton Executive Negotiation Workshop, and he shares with professionals his systematic approach to effective negotiation and bargaining. His book enables readers to know their Negotiation I.Q. and learn how cultural disparities and gender can be factors to consider when you enter into a transaction.
Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal
by Oren Klaff
The book discusses Oren’s method, summarised by the acronym STRONG: Setting the Frame; Telling the Story; Revealing the Intrigue; Offering the Prize; Nailing the Hookpoint; Getting a Decision. He incorporates research results from neuroeconomics, which give us an idea of how the brain functions when making a decision and reacting to a pitch. Such information provides readers with insights on how to approach people and situations effectively that can make you win deals.
Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life
by Stuart Diamond
A New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Business Bestseller and #1 Wall Street Journal, Getting More touches on a new method of interaction that was a result of several years of research in various countries. It encompasses a more realistic approach to human psychology, which involves understanding cultural diversity, emotional intelligence and the perceptions of other people.
Getting Ready to Negotiate: The Getting to Yes Workbook
by Roger Fisher and Danny Ertel
Readers will find informative presentations in this workbook, such as charts, forms, worksheets and case studies where one can personalise and outline his strategies for negotiations. It features seven elements of negotiation, which includes identifying interests of other people and finding alternatives when other parties do not agree during negotiation.
Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond
by Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman
A negotiation genius can turn a hopeless situation around and get out of it with success. Through this book, the authors uncover the strategies that geniuses employ during the process of negotiation. It contained stories and scenarios that present how negotiation geniuses approach difficult situations and produce positive results.
Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations
by William Ury
For some, getting no for an answer means the end of the road. But not for William Ury. His book identifies barriers to cooperation and how to break them, describes ways of preparing for a negotiation, and illustrates various breakthrough strategies. For him, achieving mutual satisfaction is better than a one-sided victory.
Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
by Robert B. Cialdini
Robert Cialdini expounds through his book about successful persuasion where influencing minds involve changing the state of mind of other parties. The book reveals new strategies, ideas and research insights in influencing and persuading people.
So, if you need someone to give you a “yes”, get some tips from any of these books on how you can create a win-win solution at the negotiation table. You’ll never know how they can help you turn things around and pave innovations to your business.