How your next negotiation is going to turn out will be determined by how you open the negotiation. No matter if the other side is a push-over or a tough customer, you are going to have to decide how you want the negotiation to start and then you are going to have to take steps to make it happen.

What you'll find inside:

• Use the "reverse-godfather" approach to win a negotiation
• Why providing a "best and final offer" is never a good idea
• Negotiating: men vs. women - who wants to win more?
• Do you have the personality needed for negotiation?

What makes an opening so very important in a negotiation is that it lays the groundwork for everything else that will follow. No matter if you are planning on using the "reverse godfather" approach or just want to duke it out like Howard Stern did with his employer, you are going to have to make sure that you have a set of guiding principles that you follow.

The other side will see how you are starting out and they will work to counter you at every step. They may hit you with a "best and final offer" - will you know what to do when this happens? You have the ability to hit them back by using status symbols or perhaps even physical intimidation.

A key part of any negotiation that you open is to understand who is going to be doing the negotiating: boys or girls. This is critical because they do negotiate differently. As the pressure starts to build in your next negotiation, you are going to have to make sure that you know how to handle a high-stress negotiation.

Not every negotiation that you open will be the same. Some will be extreme and you'll have to deal with that when it happens. If you are a good negotiator, then you'll know how to use testing in order to find out what the other side is really up to. In the end, it's all going to come down to your personality. Do you really have what it takes to be a great negotiator?