Start with No

The Negotiating Tools that the Pros Don't Want You to Know

By: Jim Camp

Narrated by: Robert Jordan

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

Start with No offers a contrarian, counterintuitive system for negotiating any kind of deal in any kind of situation - the purchase of a new house, a multimillion-dollar business deal, or where to take the kids for dinner.

Think a win-win solution is the best way to make the deal? Think again.

For years now, win-win has been the paradigm for business negotiation. But today, win-win is just the seductive mantra used by the toughest negotiators to get the other side to compromise unnecessarily, early, and often. Win-win negotiations play to your emotions and take advantage of your instinct and desire to make the deal.

Start with No introduces a system of decision-based negotiation that teaches you how to understand and control these emotions. It teaches you how to ignore the siren call of the final result, which you can’t really control, and how to focus instead on the activities and behavior that you can and must control in order to successfully negotiate with the pros.

The best negotiators:

• Aren’t interested in "yes" - they prefer "no"
• Never, ever rush to close, but always let the other side feel comfortable and secure
• Are never needy; they take advantage of the other party’s neediness
• Create a "blank slate" to ensure they ask questions and listen to the answers, to make sure they have no assumptions and expectations
• Always have a mission and purpose that guides their decisions
• Don’t send so much as an email without an agenda for what they want to accomplish
• Know the four "budgets" for themselves and for the other side: time, energy, money, and emotion
• Never waste time with people who don’t really make the decision

Start with No is full of dozens of business as well as personal stories illustrating each point of the system. It will change your life as a negotiator. If you put to good use the principles and practices revealed here, you will become an immeasurably better negotiator.

©2011 Jim Camp (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"Jim Camp offers easy-to-apply strategies to help make you a more effective negotiator. You’ll learn techniques that you can use immediately to improve your negotiating skills by reading this book." (Joe Mansueto, chairman, Morningstar Mutual Funds)

"This book is an amazing read and right on target." (John Kispert, chief financial officer, KLA-Tencor corporation)

"Jim Camp’s negotiating system is a powerful set of disciplines and tools that helped our salespeople function in our customers’ world - which ultimately led to a better negotiating process with our customers. Start with No describes his approach in detail and is recommended reading for our entire staff." (Scott Sturm, vice president of sales, Entegris Corporation)

Thanks Chris Voss!

Chris Voss mentions this book in his “never split the difference” and when an author quotes another book I usually check it out. I’m very happy I did so in this case.
My wait of about 4 years for the audible version was worth it! Actually no. I was dumb enough to wait. I should’ve done the heavy lifting and read this book right after Voss’s book.
The structure is solid, the narration great and the help in applying the lessons learned exemplary. If you care about becoming a better negotiator, don’t say no to this book.

ABSOLUTE must have for any expert communicator

I went beyond to master and cheat sheet and know like the back of my hand Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss and OMG did it have an impact on me. Then I heard him mention Getting to Yes and that was great (if you want to collaborate with good people) but then Chris mentioned Start With No and the second I started to listen I was hooked. This is an INCREDIBLE book to give skill to those that are dealing with tigers or sharks. These skills MUST be known to anyone who wants to protect those that aim to abuse with communication tactics or for those that want to defend against such effort. Start with NO is not just communication tact. You will also learn the value of preperation, Mission and Purpose, The Columbo Effect and beyond. Blank slating to say the least totally took away my bad habit of "assuming" I know anything as related to Voss and his BLACK SWAN which is amazing blank slating gave me even more power. This is a MUST READ and LISTEN book. I have the physical copy as well as my master cheat sheet.

Heard better

Sounded more like a sales pitch on his negotiation strategy. Can not say it really changed a lot for me. A much better negotiation book is “never split the difference”.

Jim Camp's Voice is Much Better

This guy sounds like he's depressed. There's a version with Jim Camp's voice. It's better.

Negotiate like a pro

This book has a ton of value for the novice and the experienced negotiator. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Lots of Good Tips

The beginning of the book puts down the win-win technique. It's not a win-win situation when one side makes a low offer (compared to the true value of the item) and the other side happily accepts. Any negotiation book would tell you to do your research first whether for a salary negotiation or car purchase. There are many good tips, like presenting the offer to the adversary (since each side is trying to get the best deal at the expense of the other party) and telling the adversary that they can say no at any time (make them comfortable and so you don't appear desperate for this deal). Also, figure out the adversary's pain... how will this deal benefit them. Focus on the benefits that interest the adversary, not what you think are the best selling points of the deal.

Lessons

Has a few points in the book that you can use for the rest of your life.

This is a negotiator's Bible

This book had so much relevant content over any that I've read in the past! it's easy to read the principles are simple and the content and stories are extremely relevant! One of the few things that stood ouy for me were never be needy and always live in the world of the adversary and don't talk but ask questions! There's much more but I don't want to spoil it for the reader! In short pick up this book read it keep it and reread it!

Amazing

love the whole book. wil be definitely using it and rereading it many times more

Listened to it twice

Completely agree with the premise of this book. it's made me a better negotiator and sales person.