The Negotiation Edge is a two-part book that will make you a better negotiator. The first half is a negotiating tutorial complete with checklists and worksheets. It details on how-to engage, prepare, select a leader, build a support team, identify roles, set communication guidelines, instruct meeting behavior, read the other side, and determine the best strategies (compete | collaborate | compromise) using a three-act negotiating structure. The second half of the book is the author's twenty-five best and worst negotiating experiences with his insightful lessons learned with Walmart, Amazon, Target, NFL, NBA, NHL, PBS, National Geographic, BBC, Netflix, Warner Bros., Disney, Universal, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, and Martha Stewart.
Mike Saksa has participated as a buyer, seller, and stakeholder in many types of negotiations for Fortune 500 companies over his 30-year career. He survived, adapted, and thrived in crisis management situations with the Tylenol product recall and relaunch, the KKR leverage buyout of RJR Nabisco, and the AOL/Time Warner failed merger. As a senior executive at Warner Bros. and Redbox, he led negotiations for over $1 billion of content against big retail, professional sports leagues, cable tv networks, streamers, movie studios, and celebrity production companies. In addition to his BS in Finance, MBA in Marketing, and MFA in Cinema/TV, Mike received executive training in leadership and negotiations at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and the Harvard Graduate Business School. He's currently a thesis panelist for the USC Cinematic Arts Graduate Producing Program and a guest lecturer in entertainment disruption at the UCLA Anderson Graduate Business School.
A highly entertaining and informative read of negotiation stories with many of the world's popular brands. Anyone reading this book will find it an invaluable resource for daily management and decision making.--Marty Albertson, former Chairman & CEO of Guitar Center, Inc. Finally, a first-hand, practical approach from an author who proves the concepts from his experiences in numerous situations across multiple industries.--Brian Farrell, former Chairman & CEO THQ, Inc. and current Adjunct Professor UCLA Anderson School of Management Through expert story-telling, Saksa unlocks the keys to successful deal-making. He brings the stories to life with wit and insight from his front row seat to some of the most important business events of the past decades. Organizations cannot assume leaders know how to negotiate. It is a specialized skill that needs to be learned. Executives of every level will benefit from this book.--Tom Vozzo, CEO Homeboy Industries and Author, The Homeboy Way
