Know The Player

• Map their goals and constraints
• Understand the fears that drive them
• Anticipate their likely moves
• Identify what they can trade

Set Objectives

• Define what you want and will trade
• Mark what you will not give
• Fix your walk-away point
• Plan the opening and the exit

Build Leverage

• Hold an information advantage
• Strengthen your alternatives
• Control the resources in play
• Use time as leverage

Shape The Room

• Choose neutral ground
• Reduce distractions and access
• Set the conditions before talking
• Control the environment quietly

Establish Control

• Let composure set the tone
• Keep pace low, breathing steady
• Speak less and listen more
• Use silence deliberately

Elicit Information

• Open with broad questions
• Let them reveal their priorities
• Listen for emotion and need
• Anchor before defining the table

Read The Person

• Watch eyes for interest or avoidance
• Read hands, open versus closed
• Track posture for engagement
• Catch micro-expressions that leak truth

Close And Seal

• Test for shared understanding
• Summarize the key points
• Confirm the specifics
• Secure the commitment