I wrote this book for busy people, as it includes 155 proven negotiation strategies that can be digested in 5-minute chunks – and the very first one could save them thousands of dollars, land them a life-changing deal, or repair a relationship that matters most. They’re about to walk into a salary negotiation. Buy a car. Close a deal with a difficult client. Settle a disagreement with their spouse. Talk to their teenager about curfew. Every single one of those moments is a negotiation. With only 5 minutes a day, in less than six months readers will have 155 powerful tactics the world’s top negotiators use to get what they want.

No. We negotiate constantly – with everyone. It’s true, business professionals and lawyers do spend hours every day negotiating. But kids also play their parents off against each other. Families try to reach consensus on where to vacation. Whether you’re arguing with your spouse, buying a car, or selling a product or a house, you’re negotiating. Here’s the deal: if you’re talking with someone and you want something and they want something – you’re negotiating. It happens millions of times every day in almost every conceivable context. Incredibly, though, few have ever learned the strategies and techniques of effective negotiation. Even fewer have mastered them. That’s where Pearls of Negotiation Wisdom comes in. It’s based on the latest research and experiences of the most successful negotiators – in a wide variety of contexts. And it lays out a practical strategic template you can use in every negotiation.

Two points. One, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there’s always more to learn about negotiation. That one new strategy or tactic they gain from this book may make the difference between their walking away a winner and leaving empty-handed. The margin of difference can be infinitesimal, yet the ramifications are often huge. Two, experience does not equal expertise. I have worked with some of the most experienced and successful business professionals and lawyers in the world – and few started out with any real strategic and comprehensive framework for their negotiations. And huge issues were at stake.

Treat it like a game. Don’t take it personally. And study it so you will be able to recognize what’s being done and why. Knowledge of the process will increase your comfort level and your ability to get what you want. Negotiation is a part of life. Like any life skill, you can improve it with understanding, knowledge and practice. Make no mistake: Everyone can improve his or her negotiation skills. Each negotiation presents unique and challenging situations no matter what your level of experience or expertise. Yet common strategies and tactics underlie success in almost every negotiation. Pearls of Negotiation Wisdom will familiarize you with the latest and most common negotiation strategies and tactics. Next time you see them in action, you will know how to respond and will be more comfortable with the process. Your increased confidence will improve your ability to get what you want.

This is one of the toughest negotiations you will ever face. Yet it is also one of the most significant. What are the keys to success in salary negotiations? One, don’t wing it. O.K. may be the two most expensive letters in the alphabet because it’s what most people say when offered a raise. Don’t. Resist the urge. Strategically figure out before you’re offered a raise how you want to respond. Perhaps even practice your response with a friend. Two, find the “fairest” standard out there and use it to justify what you want. Research your market value. Ask a human resources expert for his or her opinion of what you should receive. Consider how much profit you made your company in the previous year. Find out applicable precedents and traditions – what your company has provided to others in your position in the past. Finally, when in doubt – don’t start out. Let your employer make the first offer if you’re not sure what you should receive. You may be pleasantly surprised by how they value your services.

Research their reputation and negotiation personality and find out what has worked against them in the past. Then use this critical strategic information to design your most effective counter. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you’re getting ready to negotiate a new lease on some office space, so you speak to several of the tenants who have recently renewed their leases. In your conversations, you find that the building’s owner is known to adopt a very aggressive negotiation stance at the beginning. But he almost always caves in at the end, especially on the non-rate issues. How should you make use of this information? Stand firm on the issues to the end and make sure you ask for significant concessions on a number of non-rate issues.

In business, Bob Iger – former Chairman and CEO of Disney and now co-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. Iger negotiated some incredible business deals with Walt Disney’s nephew, Apple’s Steve Jobs, Star Wars’ creator George Lucas, and always kept his eyes on the ball and knew how achieve his business goals despite the extraordinary egos involved. In politics, former U.S. Senator John McCain. He had rock solid integrity and knew how to effectively work across the aisle to get things done even with people he disagreed with ideologically.