By Matthew Hutson

...Adam Galinsky and Maurice Schweitzer, business-school professors at Columbia and Wharton, respectively, have done extensive research on negotiation tactics and the psychology behind them. Here are 11 pieces of advice from their book that can help make anyone a better negotiator.

Meet Face-to-Face — Usually

Meeting with someone in person strengthens the relationship and increases trust. But it’s only helpful when an interaction is at least partially cooperative, or still up for grabs. When two individuals feel strongly competitive, an in-person meeting tends to only heighten their feelings of animosity toward each other. In those cases, email might be better.

Understand the Difference Between Perspective-Taking and Empathy

Trying to understand what other people are thinking helps you propose solutions they’re more likely to accept. You can creatively craft deals that meet both parties’ interests. The authors have found that when experimental participants are explicitly told to use perspective-taking during a negotiation, they expand the pie and get themselves a larger slice of it. Contrast this with empathy, however, which means actually feelingthe other person’s emotions — when you focus on empathizing with your counterpart, it makes you more likely to give in too much.

Read more from NYMag.com [HERE].