Stevea Robbins here.

Welcome to the Get It Done guys' quick and dirty tips to work less and do more.

And by the way, please recommend me to all of your friends and neighbors,

because after all, our audience grows by word of mouth.

Negotiation expert Stuart Diamond

settled the year-old Hollywood Writers' strike in just three days.

How?

He talks about it in his new book, Getting More.

I interviewed Stuart, and there's a link to the interview in this episode's transcript,

and he says the vast majority of negotiating is about the emotional relationship.

Until both parties are in an even emotional keel,

any attempt to discuss the substance of the deal will be derailed.

Emotion will trump reason.

Consider this example.

Bernice is planning her wedding.

She wants to ask her friend Europa to use her Aspen Ski Lodge for the event.

She doesn't want to alert her boyfriend Melvin that they're getting married.

That would spoil the surprise.

So she's handling her own negotiations.

Ooh, but Europa's pissed because Bernice won't hire Emperor Norton's stationary marching band

to perform at the wedding.

Europa is upset and lashing out.

...