The Good Girl's Guide to Negotiating: How to Get What You Want at the Bargaining Table

From Publishers Weekly
Whitaker, a reporter at Time and ghostwriter of The Beardstown Ladies’ Commonsense Investment Guide, and Austin, a contributing editor at Self, know from firsthand experience that many women don’t negotiate effectively. Whitaker says she never considered requesting more than a flat fee for her work on the Beardstown book, but later rethought her position when the book became a bestseller, reaping countless profits for the packager. Whether accepting a new job, closing a real estate deal or considering volunteer projects, women should not fall into common traps of giving up too easily, acting overly nice or selling themselves short, Whitaker and Austin urge. Writing in an upbeat style, the authors provide lots of morale-boosting examples of women who have managed to conquer their weaknesses and adopt winning negotiating strategies, along with studies demonstrating the differences between how men and women negotiate. Careful preparation, listening to the other party and patience are key negotiating strengths common among women, they say. They also offer many standard tips for specific situations, such as negotiating on the phone, advising women who need time to think out their negotiating strategy to simply say it’s not a good time to talk and to call back when they’re ready. (Mar. 6) Forecast: The message that women can be good girls but not end up as doormats may hit home for many readers, especially if the authors make their case on national television as planned. Still, given the competition, and the familiarity of much of the advice, the book’s success is likely to be modest.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Journalists Whitaker and Austin, once victims themselves, now set the scene for win-win negotiations, and they impart their advice with a chuckle. Three powerful and natural female instincts, they say, can be deployed to best effect when negotiating: empathizing with the other side, listening to your opponent, and interpreting nonverbal cues. Plus, specific remedies are gladly given for such commonly negative negotiation events as car purchases, prenuptial agreements, and salary talks; and they even offer pointers on how not to cry (looking up at the ceiling is their major advice on that score). Start with baby-sitter bargaining–and graduate to practicing unlocking deadlocks. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

3 Responses to “The Good Girl’s Guide to Negotiating: How to Get What You Want at the Bargaining Table”

ray
02月 12th, 2008 at 12:35 pm

By Renee (St. Paul, Mn. USA)
This book was not really what I was looking for. I wanted to think about negotiation generally, and how I as a woman am approaching it, and how I can be more effective. Although the book has some limited general advice at the beginning, almost all of the book focuses on specific situations (buying a car, getting a divorce, etc.) Since all of the situations presented were inapplicable to me, the book was of limited value. Readers interested in this title should check the table of contents and excerpt on this page. I would not have picked this book if those features had been available when I bought it.
ray
02月 12th, 2008 at 12:35 pm

By Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA)
I plan to recommend this book to all my clients, especially those who feel trapped in the corporate world. I can see why the authors wanted to use the “good girl” theme as a hook, but both men and women get frustrated by negotiating. They know their stuff, from behind-the-scenes at funeral homes to scholarly research on negotiating.
Their tips are very straightforward and right on. They understand the world of home-buying, car-buying and more. They are absolutely right: don’t accept what’s offered first.
Get information. Find out what the going rate is and don’t pay too much.

This is a good book to keep on the shelf. Besides the general perspective, the authors offer direct guidance for specific situations. You never know which one you’ll need next.
ray
02月 12th, 2008 at 12:36 pm

By Michele Weldon (Chicago, Illinois United States)
Kudos and thanks to the talented and tough team of Elizabeth Austin and Leslie Whitaker for writing a superb, well-reported and well-written business book not filled with silly metaphors, juvenile imagery and psychobabble. “The Good Girls’ Guide to Negotiating” is well-documented and practical with insight, advice and tips for use in many different arenas and life trials. There are success stories and lessons, all written with candor and aplumb, in a style that is readable and understandable.
Perhaps because both women are trained journalists, this book has substance and solid information for application on a variety of fronts, from home to work, volunteer office and even to the funeral parlor. I recommend this book as a graduation gift to any young woman from high school, college or graduate school. It’s also perfect as an engagement gift, birthday, guide to someone newly divorced or someone swtiching careers or life paths. This is advice all women can heed, from how to approach a deal to how to feel confident about fees.

So many business books I have read over the years– particuarly those aimed at women– appear to be condescending or just plain foolish. They state the obvious in metaphors that may attempt to be mythical but come off as cartoonish. Not so with this welcome book. It is a proud addition to my bookshelf and I suggest the good old boys get a good look at it too.

Way to go, girls, you did good.

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