Report on "Real World" Negotiation Instructions

As noted on the syllabus, one of your assignments in this course is to go out into the world and actually negotiate for something (do not submit a past negotiation experience that occurred before this course began). You need not go out and buy something you would not have already bought, but instead try to negotiate for a purchase you were planning to make for which you otherwise would have simply paid the listed price. The monetary amount is not important. You can even negotiate for a product, service, or other outcome that does not involve money.

After you have negotiated for your item, write a brief report analyzing the experience. To aid you in your analysis, consider some of the following questions:

• What were 1-2 key aspects of your preparation or actual negotiation with which you were pleased or disappointed, and why? i.e., Were there barriers or mistakes that hindered or limited the possibility of making a good agreement?

• What surprised you about your own behavior or that of others? Were there any unexpected approaches or actions by your counterpart(s)? How might you better anticipate and deal with such behavior in the future?

• What did you learn from the experience about your strengths and weaknesses as a negotiator? Is there anything you would do differently in the future, and how?