Two apparently very different negotiators: a leading hostage negotiator and a mergers and acquisitions dealmaker. One has solved hundreds of high stakes sieges. The other has completed more than sixty corporate M&A deals worth close to $1 billion. Neither has ever perceived any of these successes as a personal victory. This egoless mindset has allowed Kirk Kinnell and Jim Houghton to explore the true value needed by others and thus present a proposal in a way that greatly increases their ability to close a deal. In The Work Smarter Guide to Negotiation Kirk and Jim have fused their remarkable life experiences of negotiating in widely contrasting situations to simplify complex issues and provide practical solutions for all kinds of scenarios. They show you how to negotiate towards your desired outcome dispassionately - even under the most intense pressure - so that all parties get enough of what they want and need to consider themselves victories. They show what really makes the difference in getting successful outcomes for a negotiation and how to apply their lessons on the spot. In business, this equates to winning repeat business and making more profit. In our personal lives, it means family harmony and better communities. If you are booking a wedding caterer or finding a builder for that long hoped-for renovation, it means seeing eye to eye and helping everyone get what they need on terms acceptable to them. And in hostage situations, it means saving lives. These techniques work at the highest level, and they will work for any situation the reader might face.