Last week, Taylor Swift wrote an open letter to Apple and CEO Tim Cook in which she complained about the company's decision not to pay artists during the three month free-trial period of Apple Music. By also threatening to withhold from them her hot new "1989" album, the new reigning Queen of Pop also gave a crash course in Negotiation 101.

Many of us could use some help in that department. A new survey from staffing firm Robert Half revealed that although 89 percent of workers believe they deserve a raise, only 54 percent plan on asking their employer for one this year. In fact, the survey showed, many workers would rather clean the house, look for a new job or even get a root canal than ask for a bump in pay.

So, what can us mere mortals take away from her tactics?

Have a specific goal. You need to know what you want. That, in and of itself, gives you a huge edge. Many people start negotiating without a specific idea of what their endgame is. "A raise" is not really a real goal. Much better is to know you want a "3 percent raise." The more specific your goal, the easier time you'll have developing a plan to get there.

Ask the right questions. There are two questions key to any negotiation, says Lee E. Miller, co-author of A Woman's Guide To Successful Negotiating. One, what will motivate the other party to want to do what I want them to do? And two,..

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