8 Books on Negotiation Skills

Negotiation is a critical skill that influences success in business, personal relationships, and everyday interactions. Whether you’re closing deals, resolving conflicts, or seeking mutually beneficial solutions, mastering negotiation techniques can dramatically improve your outcomes. Below is a list of 8 books on negotiation skills that will transform your communication approach, enhance your persuasive abilities, and help you gain an edge in every discussion.

1. Bargaining for Advantage by G. Richard Shell

Shell outlines six key bargaining styles and helps readers identify their natural tendencies and how to adapt them for greater success. It emphasizes understanding your own and the other party’s priorities while fostering trust. This work is ideal for professionals seeking a structured framework to improve their negotiating power in both personal and professional environments.

2. Negotiating Globally by Jeanne M. Brett

Drawing on extensive international research, Brett explains how values, communication norms, and decision-making processes vary across cultures. The book offers strategies to adapt tactics for cross-cultural negotiations, manage misunderstandings, and build rapport with diverse counterparts. With globalization accelerating, this resource is critical for business leaders, diplomats, and anyone working in multinational environments. Brett’s insights help negotiators achieve mutually beneficial agreements while respecting cultural nuances.

3. Power Negotiating for Salespeople by Roger Dawson

Roger Dawson’s "Power Negotiating for Salespeople" is a tactical guide specifically designed for the sales arena, but its lessons apply broadly to any negotiation setting. The book breaks down classic negotiation techniques, such as making the first offer, using deadlines, and recognizing buyer signals. Dawson provides detailed scripts, case studies, and counter-strategies to handle objections and close deals with confidence. Its practical, hands-on style equips sales professionals to maximize value and control negotiations, turning competitive pressure into profitable outcomes.

4. Getting Past No by William Ury

"Getting Past No" is a follow-up to Ury’s seminal work Getting to Yes and focuses on strategies for dealing with difficult negotiators and deadlock situations. Ury introduces techniques such as staying calm, deflecting hostility, and redirecting the negotiation towards mutual interests. The book empowers readers to break impasses without conceding their core interests, turning adversaries into problem-solving partners. Its clear, step-by-step approach makes it an indispensable resource for anyone facing high-stakes or contentious negotiations.

5. The Power of Nice by Ronald M. Shapiro and Mark A. Jankowski

"The Power of Nice" challenges the misconception that negotiation requires aggression or tough tactics. Shapiro and Jankowski show how kindness, respect, and fairness can be powerful tools to build trust and secure favorable deals. The book offers practical advice on how to negotiate assertively yet empathetically, fostering cooperation without sacrificing your goals. It is ideal for negotiators who want to create win-win situations and long-term relationships through positive, ethical negotiation practices.

6. You Can Negotiate Anything by Herb Cohen

"You Can Negotiate Anything" by Herb Cohen is a witty, engaging, and practical exploration of negotiation that breaks down the myth that some things are non-negotiable. Cohen introduces three critical variables—time, information, and power—as levers that influence every negotiation. The book simplifies negotiation into an everyday life skill, showing how anyone can gain advantage by understanding human behavior and context. It’s empowering, humorous, and packed with wisdom, making it an enduring favorite among negotiation books.

7. Getting More by Stuart Diamond

Drawing from his experience as a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and negotiation consultant, Diamond emphasizes that understanding what matters most to the other party is the key to success. The book offers practical, easy-to-implement techniques such as listening actively, building relationships, and adjusting tactics based on people’s values. This human-centered approach makes it invaluable for business leaders, salespeople, and anyone wanting to improve influence in everyday situations, resulting in higher-quality agreements and stronger partnerships.

8. Negotiating the Nonnegotiable by Daniel Shapiro

"Negotiating the Nonnegotiable" explores how deep-seated conflicts rooted in identity, values, and emotions can be resolved through negotiation. Daniel Shapiro, a renowned psychologist and negotiation expert, provides strategies to address identity-based conflicts—those that feel impossible to compromise. He teaches negotiators how to uncover underlying fears, respect differences, and create empathy to break stalemates. This book is crucial for diplomats, business leaders, and mediators working in highly charged, emotional disputes, helping readers transform adversarial interactions into collaborative problem-solving, even when the stakes feel immovable.

Conclusion: Build Unstoppable Negotiation Mastery

Reading these eight powerful books will elevate your ability to negotiate with confidence, strategy, and empathy. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a manager, a lawyer, or just someone navigating life’s daily conflicts, these titles will give you the skills to win without making others lose. Commit to mastering the art and science of negotiation—because every conversation can be an opportunity to create value, build relationships, and move closer to your goals.