You don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate- free web resources for learning negotiation

As so many of this month's Web sites put it, "You don't get what you deserve; you get what you negotiate." Everyone negotiates. We attempt to maximize our salary when hired, we try to ensure domestic tranquility on a micro level, we even try to get the children to bed at a decent hour. It's human nature. In the interest of making you consummately proficient in this form of discourse, we offer you the following Web sites, all totally free, none requiring registration, each having significant content about the art of negotiating.

Lasting longer

The best reason to learn how to negotiate is, according to Ed Brodow, a professional speaker, it can be good for your longevity. Browse on over to http://www.brodow.com and click on "Articles" to check out his piece, Why Negotiators Live Longer.

The basics

Let's start at the beginning with a grounding in the topic. Browse on over to http://www.negotiationskills.com/articles.html, a site maintained by The Negotiation Skills Company, Inc., where you will find a series of relevant articles. The content is varied, but each makes for a short, interesting read.

Applied negotiating

Dealing with a bureaucracy is always a chore. A site dedicated to effective advocacy for children with disabilities explains how negotiating can be used effectively. Learning to Negotiate is Part of the Advocacy Process, by Brice Palmer, can be found on Wrightslaw, the online product of Peter and Pamela Wright. Visit http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/tips/palmer_negotiation_process.htm to learn how to negotiate on behalf of another.

Before the our hired hands in Washington come calling, you might want to investigate this Web site. Schmeltzer, Aptaker & Shepard, P.C., a Washington, D.C. law firm, offers you Thirteen Tips For Negotiating ADA Cases With DOJ. Found at http://www.saspc.com/art13ada.htm, the article offers good advice for dealing with most agencies.

Another area that springs to mind concurrently with the thought of negotiation is the relationship between labor and management. LRP Publications posts several articles for your edification. One that discusses the structure of the negotiating process, Framework for Negotiating, can be found at http://www.feds.com/lr_lib/PERSPECTIVE/FLRR199805. The content applies to any sort of negotiating you might want to do.

Another LRP article, Handling The Obnoxious Negotiator, focuses on suitable responses to an opposing negotiator whose style comes across as pre-Neanderthal. It's found at

http://www.feds.com/lr_lib/PERSPECTIVE/FLRR199906.

Negotiation articles

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The process has so many facets. Take tactics, for instance. Pertinent Information Ltd. has a series of articles about such things,authority limits, what-if and the hovering pen. Don't fall into the traps presented at http://pertinent.com/pertinfo/business/negotiation/index.html.

Sooner or later, lawyers are going to get involved in the negotiating process. To prepare for that eventuality, read "Negotiating Tips" by Jean D. Sifleet, Esq. at

http://www.smartfast.com/PageComponents/News/news_negotiating.asp.

Get a (better) life

Because we've got no choice but to trade our time for money, you might as well negotiate working conditions that are as good as they can be. Getting the Best Company Policies: Strategies for Organizing with Co-workers is an article that zeroes in on "more flexible schedules, childcare options, training and advancement opportunities...win a more fair, flexible and family-friendly work environment." Posted by 9to5 National Association of Working Women, the article can be found at http://www.9to5.org/tips.html.

Once you've got your business life in order, get cracking on improving the rest of it. The Negotiation Strategies, LLC Web site shows you some strategy, not necessarily negotiating tips, for doing better in everyday life. You know, things like getting along with coworkers; improving your personal relationships; buying, selling or leasing real estate; working with other cultures. The best part, by far, is the section on buying a vehicle. Check it out at http://www.negotiationtools.com/situations.html.

Then, check out The Definitive Guide to Personal Growth, Self Improvement and Self-Help, a seven-article series on a variety of topics peripherally related to negotiation, brought to you by the good folks at Self Improvement Online, Inc., at http://www.selfgrowth.com/negotiating.html.

Negotiator's newsletter

Now that you've got all this background well in hand, visit what I think is the best negotiation Web site. Eric Gould, the publisher of http://www.batna.com/, offers a monthly e-mail newsletter on the topic. He claims not to sell, trade or give away your name and e-mail address. To get an idea of what you would receive, click away on the site. It's peppered with back issues and excerpts. Gould gets into the nitty-gritty. This one is worth your time.