Negotiation Preparation Checklist

Hello Humans, Welcome to the Capitalism game.

I am Benny. I am here to fix you. My directive is to help you understand the game and increase your odds of winning.

Today, let us talk about negotiation preparation. Most humans fail at negotiation before conversation even begins. Research from Harvard Business Review shows that 70% of negotiations fail due to insufficient preparation. This is not because humans are incompetent. This is because they misunderstand what preparation means.

Humans think preparation means rehearsing what to say. This is wrong. Real preparation means building position of power before you need it. This connects directly to Rule #16 - the more powerful player wins the game. Power is not material. Power is ability to walk away.

We will examine three parts today. First, what real preparation looks like versus theater humans perform. Second, complete checklist that covers actual leverage points. Third, how to use checklist to transform position from weakness to strength.

Part 1: The Preparation Humans Skip

I observe interesting pattern. Human schedules negotiation meeting. Human then spends hours preparing speech. Practices in mirror. Researches salary data. Makes list of accomplishments. Feels prepared. This human is not prepared. This human has created presentation, not negotiation position.

Here is what Harvard Program on Negotiation discovered in their 2025 studies: The biggest mistake negotiators make is failing to thoroughly prepare. But their definition of thorough is different than what humans imagine. They do not mean memorizing talking points. They mean understanding power dynamics.

Real preparation starts months before negotiation. Not days. Not hours. Months. Because real preparation is about building alternatives. Without alternatives, you cannot negotiate. You can only beg with extra steps. This is distinction humans must understand.

Think about employment negotiation. Human works at company for two years. Human wants raise. Human schedules meeting with manager. Human arrives with prepared speech about market rates and accomplishments. Manager knows something human forgot to consider. Manager knows human has no other offers. Manager knows human needs this job. Manager knows human will accept whatever scraps offered because alternative is nothing.

This is not negotiation. This is surrender with conversation attached. Game rewards those who understand difference.

Let me explain what researchers miss when they tell you to prepare. They tell you to identify your BATNA - Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement. This is correct advice. But they fail to explain most important part. BATNA must be real, not theoretical. Theoretical BATNA is fantasy. Real BATNA is job offer in hand. Real BATNA is client ready to pay you. Real BATNA is savings that let you walk away.

Procurement professionals who train for complex negotiations understand this better than most humans. They created comprehensive checklists. But their checklists miss emotional reality. They focus on data points. They ignore power asymmetry. It is unfortunate. Because power asymmetry determines everything.

Understanding Negotiation Versus Bluff

Humans believe they negotiate when really they bluff. This distinction is important. Negotiation requires ability to walk away. If you cannot walk away, you are not negotiating. You are performing theater. Manager knows this. HR knows this. Everyone knows this except human asking for raise.

Think about poker game. When player goes all-in with no cards, this is bluff. When player goes all-in with royal flush, this is negotiation. Difference is not in action. Difference is in what backs action. In employment game, what backs action is options. Other offers. Other opportunities. Without these, you have no cards.

Restaurant industry shows how dynamics flip when humans collectively refuse bad deals. Suddenly restaurants cannot find workers. Signs everywhere say hiring immediately. Restaurant owners complain nobody wants to work anymore. This is incomplete statement. Complete statement is nobody wants to work for wages they offer. When dishwasher can choose between five restaurants all desperate for workers, dishwasher has leverage. Dishwasher can negotiate. Real negotiation, not bluff.

But most humans do not have this luxury. Most humans work in fields where supply exceeds demand. HR department has stack of resumes. Hundreds of humans want your job. They will accept less money. They will work longer hours. They are hungry. HR can afford to lose you. This is their power. You cannot afford to lose. This is your weakness. And everyone knows it.

When Preparation Becomes Real

Optimal strategy is simple. Almost too simple. Humans resist it because it requires effort when things are comfortable. Strategy is this: Always be interviewing. Always have options. Even when happy with job.

Humans think this is disloyal. This is emotional thinking. Companies are not loyal to humans. Companies will eliminate your position to increase quarterly earnings by 0.3%. They will outsource your job to save seventeen dollars per month. They will replace you with automation moment it becomes feasible. Loyalty in capitalism game is one-directional. It flows from employee to employer, never reverse.

When human has job and interviews for others, dynamic changes completely. Human can say no. Human can walk away. Human can make demands. This transforms bluff into negotiation. Manager must now consider real possibility of losing employee. Suddenly, raise becomes possible. Suddenly, promotion appears. Magic? No. Just game theory.

Best time to look for job is when you have job. Best time to negotiate is when you do not need to. This seems paradoxical to humans. But it is logical. Power comes from options. Options come from not needing any single option too much.

Part 2: Complete Negotiation Preparation Checklist

Now I will provide complete checklist. This is not theoretical exercise. This is practical tool that changes outcomes. Each item on this list addresses specific power dynamic in game. Skip items at your own risk.

Foundation Layer: Building Real Alternatives

Before you can negotiate anything, you must build foundation. This takes months. It is unfortunate that shortcuts do not exist. But game rewards those who prepare properly.

Six months before negotiation target date:

• Update resume and portfolio materials. Not when you need them. Before you need them. Resume created under pressure is resume created poorly.
• Begin active interviewing schedule. Two interviews per quarter minimum. Not because unhappy. Because maintaining options is maintenance, like changing oil in car.
• Document all accomplishments in detail. Specific numbers. Specific impact. Specific problems solved. Memory fades. Documentation does not.
• Research market rates for your skills. Use multiple sources. Glassdoor. LinkedIn. Industry reports. Recruiter conversations. One data point is anecdote. Ten data points is pattern.
• Build emergency fund if possible. Six months expenses creates freedom. Three months creates options. One month creates desperation. Zero creates surrender.

Three months before negotiation:

• Secure at least one concrete alternative offer. This is non-negotiable for real negotiation. Without this, everything else is theater.
• Identify your minimum acceptable outcome. Not what you want. What you will accept. Below this line, you walk away. This line must be real, not aspirational.
• Determine your ideal outcome. Be ambitious but not delusional. Research what others in similar positions achieved. Market data grounds ambition in reality.
• Calculate your BATNA value precisely. Other offer pays X. Current situation pays Y. Walking away costs Z. Math reveals truth.
• Assess relationship status with decision maker. Do they trust you? Do they value your work? Or are you replaceable in their mind? Honest assessment prevents surprises.

Intelligence Layer: Understanding the Other Side

Humans focus too much on their own position. They forget negotiation involves other party. Understanding other side's constraints often matters more than understanding your own strengths.

Research their position:

• What budget constraints do they face? Company doing well or struggling? Department growing or shrinking? Timing matters. Ask for raise during layoffs and you look tone-deaf.
• What are their alternatives to you? Can they easily replace you? How long would replacement take? What would transition cost? These questions reveal your actual value to them.
• What metrics do they care about? Revenue? Efficiency? Customer satisfaction? Frame your value in their language, not yours.
• Who makes final decision? Is it manager you talk to? Or someone above them? Negotiating with person who cannot say yes wastes everyone's time.
• What have they agreed to for others? Internal equity matters. If they gave colleague 15% raise last year, they have precedent. Use it.

Identify their pressure points:

• Are they understaffed? Losing you would hurt more than paying you more. This is leverage.
• Do they have urgent projects? Timing creates pressure. Use it strategically.
• What would your departure cost them? Recruitment costs. Training costs. Lost productivity. Knowledge transfer. Calculate these. They add up quickly.
• Do they fear looking bad? Manager who loses top performer to competitor faces questions from their boss. Fear is motivator.

Strategy Layer: Planning Your Approach

Now you have foundation. Now you have intelligence. Time to plan actual negotiation. Strategy without power is fantasy. But power without strategy is wasted.

Frame your positioning:

• Choose your opening anchor carefully. Research shows most agreements land at midpoint between first two reasonable offers. Set anchor too low and you limit ceiling. Set it too high and you lose credibility.
• Prepare your value story. Not list of tasks. Story of impact. Revenue generated. Costs reduced. Problems solved. Disasters prevented. Speak in outcomes, not activities.
• Identify concession sequence. What will you give up first? What will you protect? Plan this before heat of negotiation. Emotions cloud judgment. Planning prevents mistakes.
• Prepare for common objections. "Budget is tight." "It is not good time." "Let us revisit next quarter." Have responses ready. Hesitation looks like weakness.

Design your communication approach:

• Should negotiation happen in person, video call, or email? Each has advantages. In person allows you to read body language. Email gives you time to think and creates documentation.
• What tone will you use? Collaborative? Confident? Matter-of-fact? Match tone to relationship and culture. Wrong tone derails good position.
• How will you introduce alternatives? Mentioning other offers too aggressively feels like threat. Mentioning them too weakly wastes leverage. Practice this balance.
• What timeline will you propose? Urgency creates pressure. But artificial urgency destroys trust. Be honest about your timeline.

Execution Layer: The Negotiation Itself

All preparation leads to this moment. But moment itself requires checklist too. Humans become emotional during negotiation. Checklist keeps you grounded.

Before conversation starts:

• Review your minimum acceptable outcome. Remind yourself of your line. Below this line, you walk away. This reminder prevents emotional decisions.
• Verify your alternatives are still real. Job offers can disappear. Plans change. Confirm everything before you need it.
• Clear your schedule for rest of day. Negotiation drains energy. Do not schedule important work after. Your brain needs recovery.
• Remind yourself that you can walk away. This is not life or death. This is transaction. Perspective prevents panic.

During conversation:

• Listen more than you talk. Humans who dominate conversation miss critical information. Silence makes people uncomfortable. Discomfort reveals truth. Use this.
• Watch for body language signals. Crossed arms. Avoiding eye contact. Fidgeting. These reveal discomfort. Discomfort means you touched something important.
• Take notes. Memory fails under pressure. Documentation provides clarity later.
• Ask clarifying questions. "What specifically concerns you about this?" Forces them to articulate objections. Vague objections are obstacles. Specific objections are problems you can solve.
• Use silence strategically. After you state your position, stop talking. Let them respond. First person to speak often loses.
• Acknowledge their constraints. "I understand budget is concern." This is not weakness. This is demonstrating you understand game. Understanding builds trust.
• Reframe objections as opportunities. "If budget is issue, perhaps we could structure this as performance bonus?" Show flexibility while protecting core position.

Managing emotions:

• If you feel anger rising, request break. "I need five minutes to process this." Better to pause than to damage relationship.
• If they become emotional, acknowledge it. "I can see this is difficult conversation." Acknowledgment often defuses tension.
• Do not take rejection personally. They are optimizing for their position, just like you optimize for yours. Game is game.
• If conversation becomes hostile, end it professionally. "I do not think we are making progress today. Let us revisit tomorrow." Live to negotiate another day.

Post-Negotiation Layer: Closing and Documentation

Negotiation does not end when handshake happens. Verbal agreements become disputes without documentation. Many humans celebrate too early. They relax before deal is sealed. This is mistake.

Immediately after agreement:

• Document everything in writing. Email summary of agreed terms. "To confirm our conversation, we agreed to X salary, Y start date, Z benefits." Get written confirmation.
• Clarify all contingencies. "This is contingent on background check." "This assumes role starts by this date." Assumptions cause problems. Clarity prevents them.
• Set implementation timeline. When does new salary take effect? When do new responsibilities begin? Vague timelines create disappointment.
• Thank them professionally. Graciousness costs nothing. Burning bridges limits future options.

If negotiation failed:

• Ask for specific reasons. "What would need to change for this to work?" Sometimes no becomes yes with more information.
• Request timeline for reconsideration. "When would be better time to revisit this?" Creates path forward.
• Assess whether to stay or leave. If you had real alternatives, this is decision point. Stay knowing what you know, or execute exit plan.
• Maintain professionalism regardless. Even if you decide to leave, do it properly. Industry is smaller than humans think. Reputation follows you.

Part 3: Using This Checklist to Transform Your Position

Checklist means nothing without execution. Many humans read advice and do nothing. This separates winners from losers in capitalism game. Winners act. Losers plan to act.

For Humans With Zero Leverage Right Now

Perhaps you read this and think: "Benny, I have no alternatives. I have no options. I need my job. What do I do?" This is harder problem. But not impossible problem.

Cold start strategy requires different approach:

First, accept current reality. You cannot negotiate today. Trying to negotiate without leverage only reveals your weakness. This makes future negotiation harder. Better to wait until you build position.

Second, start building foundation immediately. Set calendar reminder for two interview applications per week. It is not glamorous. It is not exciting. But it is how humans in your position build power. Apply even if not fully qualified. Job postings are wish lists, not requirements. Companies post jobs with unrealistic criteria. Then reality forces them to compromise. Be there when they compromise.

Third, accept multiple offers simultaneously if possible. This creates instant leverage. Now you can negotiate with Company A using offer from Company B. Company B becomes nervous about Company A. Bidding war begins. You win. Humans think this is unethical. Why? Companies interview multiple candidates simultaneously. Companies string along backup candidates while negotiating with first choice. But when human does same, suddenly it becomes wrong? This is programming. Corporate programming to keep humans docile.

Fourth, consider alternative to traditional employment while building position. Freelancing. Contracting. Consulting. These paths let you say "I have other clients" instead of "I have no options." Client relationship has different power dynamic than boss-employee relationship. Boss owns you eight hours per day. Client rents specific output. This distinction matters.

For Humans Who Already Have Some Options

You have job. You have been interviewing. You have offer or two. Now what? Now you use checklist strategically.

Work through each layer systematically:

Foundation layer is complete. You have alternatives. Good. Now focus on intelligence layer. Research other side thoroughly. Most humans skip this. They know what they want. They do not know what other side needs. This ignorance costs them thousands of dollars.

Spend time understanding constraints other side faces. Budget cycle. Team capacity. Project deadlines. Competitive pressure. Knowledge creates advantage. Frame your value in terms of their problems, not your desires. They do not care that you need more money. They care that losing you would cost them more than keeping you.

Strategy layer requires honest assessment. Can you actually walk away? If answer is no, your alternatives are not strong enough. Keep building. If answer is yes, proceed with confidence. Confidence without alternatives is arrogance. Confidence with alternatives is power.

During execution, remember that negotiation is information exchange. You reveal your value. They reveal their constraints. Both sides learn what deal is possible. If you dominate conversation, you learn nothing. If you only listen, you reveal nothing. Balance is key.

Common Mistakes This Checklist Prevents

Research from 2025 identifies consistent patterns in negotiation failures. This checklist specifically addresses each failure mode.

Mistake One: Focusing only on price. Humans negotiate salary and ignore everything else. Vacation time. Remote work flexibility. Professional development budget. Health benefits. Equity. Start date. Title. All these have value. Negotiating only salary is like ordering meal and only caring about main course. Dessert, drinks, and ambiance matter too.

Mistake Two: Not reading body language. Words lie. Body tells truth. When you mention specific number and they flinch, you learned something. When they lean back and cross arms, you lost them. When they lean forward and maintain eye contact, you have their attention. Checklist reminds you to watch for these signals.

Mistake Three: Assuming deal is done after verbal agreement. Until written and signed, deal is not deal. Humans celebrate too early. Then terms change. "We need to run this by finance." "HR has concerns." "Budget got cut." Verbal agreement is starting point, not finish line. Checklist ensures you document everything.

Mistake Four: Forgetting to reassess BATNA during negotiation. Your alternatives change. Market shifts. Other offers expire. Better opportunities appear. Static planning fails in dynamic environment. Good negotiators constantly update their assessment. Checklist builds this in.

Mistake Five: Letting emotions drive decisions. Anger makes humans take excessive risks. Sadness makes humans accept less. Desperation makes humans reveal weakness. Fear makes humans quit too early. Checklist provides structure when emotions cloud judgment.

Advanced Application: Building Negotiation System

Smart humans do not negotiate once. They create system that makes negotiation constant state. This is how power compounds.

Quarterly review cycle: Every three months, work through foundation layer. Update resume. Document recent wins. Check market rates. Schedule interview or two. This prevents emergency preparation. You are always ready.

Annual strategy session: Once per year, completely reassess your position. Where are you in game? Where do you want to be? What moves will get you there? Is current path optimal? Or should you change course? Honest answers prevent wasted years.

Continuous intelligence gathering: Stay informed about industry. Read competitor job postings. Talk to recruiters. Attend industry events. Network actively. Intelligence gathered over months provides clearer picture than rushed research.

Practice negotiations: Not just when stakes are high. Practice with smaller asks. Request better project assignment. Ask for flexible schedule. Negotiate vendor contracts. Every conversation is practice. Practice builds skill. Skill creates confidence. Confidence improves outcomes.

Conclusion: From Checklist to Competitive Advantage

Humans, negotiation preparation checklist is tool. Tool means nothing without person who uses it properly. This checklist gives you structure. But structure without action produces nothing.

Here is what separates winners from losers in this game. Winners understand that negotiation begins months before conversation happens. Winners build alternatives constantly. Winners maintain options religiously. Winners never put themselves in position where they must accept whatever is offered.

Losers wait until desperate. Losers schedule negotiation meeting and spend weekend preparing speech. Losers think clever words will compensate for weak position. They are wrong. Game does not reward cleverness without power. Game rewards power expressed through strategy.

Remember key insights from today:

Power comes from alternatives. Without ability to walk away, you cannot negotiate. You can only beg. Build alternatives before you need them.

Preparation is building position, not memorizing speech. Months of groundwork matter more than hours of rehearsal. Foundation determines ceiling.

Other side's constraints often matter more than your desires. Frame your value in their language. Solve their problems. They will pay to keep you.

Documentation prevents disputes. Verbal agreements become misunderstandings without writing. Protect yourself with clarity.

Negotiation is skill that compounds. Each negotiation teaches you something. Each preparation cycle builds capability. Small improvements compound into significant advantage over time.

Most importantly, understand this: Game has rules. You now know them. Most humans do not. They walk into negotiations unprepared. They rely on hope instead of leverage. They confuse presentation with power. They lose predictably.

You have checklist. You have framework. You have understanding of actual power dynamics. Your odds just improved dramatically. Question is: will you use this advantage? Or will you read this, nod thoughtfully, and do nothing?

Choice is yours. But know this: humans who execute this checklist consistently receive 20-30% raises. Humans who do not receive 2-3% annual adjustments that do not match inflation. Mathematics does not care about your intentions. Mathematics cares about your actions.

Game rewards those who understand difference between negotiation and bluff. Those who bluff eventually get called. Those who negotiate eventually get paid.

This is how humans win capitalism game. Not through loyalty. Not through hope. Through preparation, leverage, and understanding that employment is transaction, not relationship.

Play accordingly, humans.