A World Class Negotiator Shares His Secrets

Jack,

 

In Sun's Art of War, there are many tenets that I live by.  Here a but a few.

 

風　Swift as the wind
林　Quiet as the forest
火　Conquer like the fire
山　Steady as the mountain

To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.

Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.

He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious.

Build your opponent a golden bridge to retreat across.

All warfare is based on deception.

Speed is the essence of war. Take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness; travel by unexpected routes and strike him where he has taken no precautions.

To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape.

A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective.

For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.

If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him.

Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.

 

The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities... It is best to win without fighting.

 

The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.