The Power of Nice

One of the most successful dealmakers in the sports industry presents his unique negotiating strategies

"Ron Shapiro′s new book is insightful and entertaining. The lessons he learned and the methods he uses should be required reading for anyone whose business relies on the art of negotiation. Ron never forgets that treating people with respect and fairness is the key to success. Ron and Mark have been helping our company for many years–I guess we won′t need them anymore–they put it all in their book." –Charles M. Cawley Chief Executive Officer, MBNA America Bank, N.A.

"In the field of negotiation Ron Shapiro has always been regarded as the quintessence of class and integrity. Predictably, he and Mark Jankowski have written a compelling book filled with anecdotes and insights. The Power of Nice is a fascinating and useful book that is a must read for anyone who wants to build long–term mutually profitable relationships." –Herb Cohen Author, You Can Negotiate Anything

"This book taught me everything I ever wanted to know about negotiation–and I use it everyday." –Kirby Puckett Former All–Star Center Fielder and Executive Vice President, Minnesota Twins

"Negotiation is not war.

Negotiation is not a science. Negotiation is the commerce of information for ultimate gain." –from The Power of Nice

Though not a science, negotiating is an art, and in this eye–opening new book, a true master shares his secrets and strategies for success. Ron Shapiro is a corporate lawyer, teacher, and, in what is almost a contradiction in terms, one of today′s most respected sports agents. He has worked with baseball′s biggest names: Cal Ripken, Jr., Kirby Puckett, Brooks Robinson, Dennis Martinez, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, and many others. Rising to–and remaining at–the top of a competitive pool filled with smooth–talking, "sleazeball" sharks, he has succeeded by being, of all things, a nice guy. Now, along with his business partner, lawyer, lecturer, and negotiations expert, Mark Jankowski, Shapiro reveals how anyone who sits down to make a deal can get what they want by exercising the surprising "power of nice." Together, Shapiro and Jankowski have shared their negotiation insights with Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, universities, and government agencies.

Though the name of the game in negotiating is to obtain desired results, how you get them is just as important. While many dealmakers play hardball by assuming a winner–take–all, scorched–earth attitude, they do so at the risk of alienating the party opposite them at the negotiating table, thereby losing out on future opportunities. This approach is, as Shapiro and Jankowski tell us, a major strike against effective negotiating, and can–and should–be avoided. By using a kinder, gentler approach that focuses on forming–and keeping–strong business connections, ultimate gain can still be yours: "You can be ′a nice guy′ and still get what you′re after. In fact, you often get better results, achieve more of your goals, and build longer–term relationships with even greater returns."

Drawing on their vast experience in win–win negotiating, as well as such essentials as managing tough situations, handling difficult negotiators, and unlocking deadlocks, the authors take you, step–by–step, through a systematic approach that, when repeated and mastered, will maximize results. Based on "the three Ps," it consists of: preparing better than the other side; probing so you know what they want and why; and proposing, ideally without going first and revealing too much, but still achieving what you want.

Supported by invaluable "portable" negotiation summaries–so you can take the "power of nice" with you–this is must reading for anyone who has to make a deal, whether it′s negotiating with a customer, setting a curfew with a teenager, or getting the last seat on an over–sold airplane.

RONALD M. SHAPIRO, Esq., has used his negotiation skills to settle a major symphony orchestra strike, diffuse racial tension in a metropolitan police department, and help end Major League Baseball′s historic labor deadlock of 1994 and 1995. The founder of the Shapiro Negotiations Institute, a negotiations seminar and consulting firm, Shapiro hosts a series of prime time specials for Baltimore′s NBC affiliate, and is one of the nation′s premier motivational speakers.

MARK A. JANKOWSKI, Esq., cofounder of the Shapiro Negotiations Institute, has lectured on negotiation and dispute resolution at Johns Hopkins University and The Wharton School of Business. Jankowski has joined Shapiro in delivering seminars to some of America′s leading businesses, including MBNA, BT Alex Brown, Feld Entertainment, Ortho–McNeil Pharmaceutical, ARAMARK, and Hearst Broadcasting.

JAMES DALE is a writer whose works include books, television, film, marketing and advertising.