Negotiation Prep

Use it for

Leadership — Don Back’s negotiation rehearsal

The prompt

**When to use:** Before any significant meeting where you need to advocate for a position against informed opposition — board meetings, contract negotiations, high-ticket sales conversations, partnership discussions, governance decisions.
---
## Setup
Before running this command, gather:
1. Governing documents — contracts, bylaws, regulations, policies, or terms relevant to the matter
2. Meeting transcript — from the most recent meeting where all parties stated their positions
3. Your objective — what specific outcome you need from this meeting
4. Your strategy — what you're willing to trade away to get what you want
---
## Prompt Template
```
I am preparing for a negotiation / meeting on [DATE] about [TOPIC].

Here are the relevant documents: [attach/paste governing docs]

Here is the most recent meeting where all parties stated their positions: [attach/paste transcript]

My objective: [specific outcome you want]
What I'm willing to give up: [concessions you can live with]
What I'm NOT willing to give up: [your non-negotiables]

Now I want to rehearse the negotiation before the real meeting.

Step 1: Analyze the documents and transcript. Identify every party's stated position, their likely interests behind that position, and what they would need to accept the outcome I want.

Step 2: Role-play as the opposing parties. Hold their positions firmly. Push back on my arguments using their actual logic and concerns. Do NOT change your position unless I give you specific data or evidence — restating my position more forcefully is not enough.

Step 3: I will propose my strategy and argue for my outcome. Audit my reasoning. Challenge every weak point. Tell me what I haven't thought through.

Step 4: When my strategy holds under your scrutiny, produce:
- A briefing note with [N] recommended actions, including [my real goal] plus [N-1] tradeable items I'm willing to negotiate away
- A list of the 3 most likely objections I'll face and how to answer them
- Any elements of my position that remain vulnerable

Let's begin. Step 1:
```
---
## Cannon-Fodder Tactic
When building the briefing note, deliberately include more recommended actions than you actually want. The extras are cannon fodder — positions you're willing to trade in negotiation to secure the one outcome that matters.
---
## Calibration Notes
- This command assumes you've loaded real documents and real transcripts.
- Run the rehearsal at least 24 hours before the real meeting.
**Source:** Don Back — June 4, 2026 Mastermind. Outcome: a three-year governance dispute resolved in one executive committee meeting.

Worked example

No worked example recorded yet.