theatrical_muse, 246: Five Steps to a Successful Negotiation
1) Carry a bigger weapon than the other parties. I know what you're thinking. "Athena," you think, "isn't the point of negotiation to not have weapons?" No, the point is to get what you want without killing anyone. Sometimes that means letting them know that you will and can kill them if necessary.
2) Make a big show of putting whatever weapon it is out of arm's reach. Let them think that they've got the edge, even if they don't. And I can't stress this enough: if you're not fast enough to get to that weapon before things go south, keep it closer. For the love of your own personal deity.
3) DON'T KILL ANYONE. I know I already said this, but I think it warrants its own number. Sometimes you guys get too trigger happy, and if a gun's around you'll use it. Just relax. If you kill someone, the negotiation's over.
4) Know three things before you go in: what you want, what you're willing to settle for, and what you're willing to give to get either of those things. Hopefully you end up between want and settle, and give less than you'd planned. But don't bring notes and don't try to memorize some speech. Improvise around those three things.
5) Always have a partner. Even if you can't bring her to the negotiation, she can be your driver. Or the person hanging out on the other head of the mic in your ear. Or your mom who packs your lunch. Whatever. It doesn't matter, but don't do it alone. You need another set of eyes, ears and, most importantly, another brain.