Wharton prof offers tips on negotiations for recent grads

Whether pleading with a professor for partial credit on an exam, settling a conflict with a roommate or scalping tickets to the Princeton game outside the Palestra, most Penn seniors already have cut a number of deals over the past four years. But after graduation, they will be sitting down at the bargaining table even more frequently to negotiate everything from car leases and starting salaries to housing rent and wedding parties. Still, the vast negotiation experience of college life should pay off for recent graduates, according to Legal Studies Department Chairperson Richard Shell, whose book Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People hit bookstores nationwide last week. The book was used this year in all Wharton negotiations classes. "Someone who is successful at negotiating a grade change is going to be successful negotiating with employees," said Shell, who has taught undergraduate, MBA and executive negotiation workshops at Wharton since 1986. "The secret is being able to see from the other person's perspective." According to Shell, effective negotiation is 90 percent attitude and 10 percent learned techniques. "Everyone can be a good negotiator if they are aware and alerted to the other person's needs? and have a degree of confidence to appear natural and truthful," he said. Shell stressed an "information-based" approach to bargaining, advising that like good Boy Scouts, successful negotiators must always be prepared. "It is really key to get as much information as possible," he said, noting that consumer magazines often publish the dealer invoice prices of cars or the average rental rates of homes in various cities. And even during the negotiation process, Shell said that people should listen carefully and ask pointed questions in order to obtain additional information and check the credibility of the other side. He also advised that before sitting down at the bargaining table, it is crucial to have a precise goal. "If you set a specific target in your mind while negotiating, psychologically you will be more directed and focused," he said. According to Shell, the main mistake most people make when negotiating is that they do not ask for what they want -- be it a later starting date, higher salary for their job or earlier move-in date for an apartment. "Young children have no problem asking for what they want. But as we are educated, we learn to cooperate," Shell said. "People are afraid that they'll look unreasonable, selfish or greedy. It's OK to ask for something, but it is how you ask for it." He warned that a pushy attitude over a starting salary might not send the right signal with an employer and could jeopardize the long-term relationship. In Bargaining for Advantage, Shell supports these pieces of advice with the latest negotiation research as well as anecdotes from business and social history to illustrate the art and science of the deal. Current celebrities and legendary figures -- from Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Carnegie to Larry King and Donald Trump -- are used as real-life examples to distinguish cooperative and competitive negotiating styles. "A good negotiations course is where people learn to acquaint themselves with their personal tool kit," he said. "The goal is personal effectiveness and so the book doesn't treat everyone the same." Still, even Shell admits that there are times when it is better not to negotiate. "If you are looking for housing in New York City and are lucky to find one, don't lose it by haggling over the price," he quipped.

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