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Learn Negotiation

Prepare like a professional and reach deals both sides can live with.

Free to start. Built from a single prompt. No credit card.

Negotiation is how two or more parties with different interests reach an agreement, whether that is a job offer, a supplier contract, a car purchase or a disagreement with a roommate. Most of the outcome is decided in preparation: knowing your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement), your walk-away point and what the other side actually needs. The core ideas come from principled negotiation in Getting to Yes, research on anchoring, and tactics like labeling and calibrated questions. Learnr builds a personalized negotiation course from a single prompt and teaches it with short interactive lessons and practice scenarios.

How to learn Negotiation, step by step

Learn the core vocabulary. Understand BATNA, reservation point, target, ZOPA (zone of possible agreement) and the difference between distributive, fixed-pie deals and integrative deals where both sides can gain. These concepts frame every later technique.
Prepare a one-page plan before every negotiation. Write your goal, your BATNA, your walk-away point, your best guess at the other side's BATNA and interests, and the issues on the table. Most negotiation mistakes are preparation mistakes made before anyone speaks.
Move from positions to interests. Practice the central idea of Getting to Yes by Fisher and Ury: ask why someone wants what they ask for. A supplier demanding a higher price may really need faster payment, which you might give cheaply.
Use anchors and concessions deliberately. Learn why first offers pull the final outcome toward them, and when to make the first offer. Plan your concessions in shrinking steps and always trade something for something, rather than giving ground for free.
Practice listening techniques. Try the tactics popularized by Chris Voss in Never Split the Difference: mirroring the last few words, labeling emotions ("it sounds like timing is a concern") and asking calibrated "how" and "what" questions.
Rehearse low-stakes negotiations. Negotiate a phone bill, a flea market purchase or a deadline at work, then debrief what happened. Learnr scenario lessons let you rehearse responses in a few minutes a day before real stakes arrive.

What you'll learn

Identify your BATNA, reservation point and target before any negotiation
Separate positions from underlying interests on both sides
Use anchoring and first offers deliberately
Trade concessions across several issues instead of splitting the difference
Stay calm and use questions when talks become tense

What's inside your Negotiation course

A sample path Learnr builds for Negotiation. Your real course adapts to your goal and level.

1. Distributive versus integrative negotiation
2. Preparation: BATNA, reservation point and ZOPA
3. Interests, positions and creating value
4. Anchoring, offers and concessions
5. Listening, questions and emotions
6. Salary, purchase and workplace negotiations

How long does it take to learn Negotiation?

You can learn the main frameworks in 2 to 4 weeks at a few hours a week. Using them under pressure takes repeated practice and debriefing, often several months of real negotiations, and depends on how often your work or life puts you at the table.

What you need before you start

Nothing at all. A real upcoming negotiation, such as a raise, a purchase or a contract, gives you a concrete case to prepare for while you learn.

Common mistakes to avoid

Walking in without knowing your BATNA or walk-away point, which makes it easy to accept a bad deal under pressure.
Splitting the difference on a single issue like price, instead of adding issues such as timing, terms or scope so both sides can trade.
Filling silence by making a concession. Pause after an offer and let the other side respond first.

How Learnr builds your course

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Negotiation questions, answered

How do I negotiate a salary offer?

Research market ranges for the role from several sources, know your alternatives, and negotiate the full package, including start date, title, bonus and flexibility. Ask questions before countering, and stay courteous because you will work with these people.

Should I make the first offer?

Often yes, if you have good information about the value, because the first number tends to anchor the discussion. If you know little about what is reasonable, ask questions and let the other side open.