"The Art of Negotiation"

"The Art of Negotiation" is an item in the Rag and Bone Shop that becomes available one Daily Reset after completing . Purchasing the book will unlock .
==Text==
People often say I've got a good head for business, that I'm good at spotting and taking advantage of opportunities. Personally, I don't think of it like that. I think we make our own opportunities. I started from nothing, with not a Mora to my name. I had nothing to rely on but myself, my ability to negotiate and persuade those better off to work with me. That's how I created my opportunities — through negotiation.
And all my experiences have taught me that the ability to negotiate can solve almost any problem. That's what I've always counted on. So I hope you won't follow the path I describe, as that would only make the world more difficult for me to succeed in.
...
"Gain the Initiative"
I think the outcome of most negotiations can be determined from the outset. Everyone who knows me knows that. I used to be an itinerant desert trader, which is how I got my start. I had no money, no experience. But I learned something very important out there: "Always speak loudly to make people think you are confident."
The desert is hostile to outsiders. The locals there will only deal with those they trust. They are scared of outsiders, or rather maybe they're scared of being cheated. So why would they trade with me, some penniless kid with no background? But later I realized that their rejection of outsiders was only a symptom. So what was the underlying cause? It's because they can't be sure of the quality of products that come from outside.
So obviously, you need to provide compelling proof of the quality of your goods to win their trust. Or make them think you have that compelling proof, at least. Now, how do you do make them think that? It's all in how confidently you talk, even if it's just bravado. As long as you act confident, people will assume you have a reason for that confidence, and they'll talk themselves into trusting you.
So I hawked my goods loud and proud. I used my imposing manner to overpower them, beating them down until they started to wonder why I dared talk like that. Well, it had to be because I had plenty of buyers and I didn't care if they made a purchase or not, right? Which meant I had to have a good reputation for selling quality goods. That meant they couldn't go wrong buying them.
And you all know what happened next. I made my first fortune.
Looking back, I feel that negotiation is all about convincing the other party to agree with or accept whatever you're telling them. If you gain the initiative by showing your strength and overwhelm your opponent with an imposing manner, they'll be convinced. And that brings our goals within easy reach, doesn't it?
...
"Steer the Conversation"
I find steering conversation to be a very effective negotiation technique and a reliable way of getting out of a difficult situation. I once wanted to try to sell goods from Mondstadt in Liyue. But my customers didn't know anything about Mondstadt. They were just ordinary folk who'd never set foot outside Liyue in their lives. For them, buying goods from some unknown place was a huge risk, so sales were understandably poor. And as you can imagine, my investor was losing faith.
Now that might sound like a thorny problem, but the solution was simple. I had to talk to my customers about what a great place Mondstadt is, making them curious about it, or even trusting. And that trust would transfer to my goods and convert into sales. And what about my investor? That was even easier. He lacked faith, so I gave him some. I convinced him sales would be good. And of course, it doesn't really matter if sales really are good or not.
Once you identify the root cause of a problem, the solution will become apparent. But I couldn't be too obvious about it. I carried out a market research survey, with a Mora reward for anyone who filled in a questionnaire. Everyone was clamoring to fill one in once they heard the sound of Mora.
Now, you might be wondering what this has got to do with negotiation. I can answer that: The most powerful weapon in a negotiation is the truth, and the truth can be manipulated. The questionnaire looked like market research, but it was actually guiding everyone toward the conclusion I wanted them to reach.
So here's what happened. I planted some leading questions in the survey. For example, I felt Mondstadt is known for its freedom, while Liyue's citizens largely desire leisurely and happy lives. Thus, the conclusion I wanted people to reach was that those two things are mutually complementary.
So I asked questions like this:
Do you like a relaxed and leisurely life? Do you like an atmosphere of freedom? Do fine wines help you enjoy life? And so on.
Most people would answer such questions in the affirmative. Next, we used the survey to ask if they like free and happy cities, such as the city of Mondstadt. And, naturally, most people answered yes. With that, we created the impression that everyone in Mondstadt is happy.
That gave me an image to leverage in my sales. I wasn't selling goods now, I was selling a lifestyle, a lifestyle of happiness — and obviously, you can all imagine how successful I was.
Of course, you will always run into contrary types who insist on singing a different tune. Those responses can influence the data from the survey and cause undue concern to the people who see those numbers — my investor, for example.
I had to eliminate that, or at least reduce it. And I did so in a rather crude way. I hinted to the participants that the Mora reward would be dependent on their answers. Money is enough of a temptation to convince most of the contrary types to compromise. That meant I had cleaner data, which I could use to bolster my investor's faith. And that meant it was time for the next part of my plan.
...
"The Universal Formula"
People often ask me if there are any unbeatable negotiation techniques that can be used in any situation. I tell them there is one. It is to begin your answers like this: "I agree with your views, but..." I call this the "universal formula" for no other reason than that it analyzes and uses human nature. It lays bare our weaknesses. Why? Because we crave approval. Nobody can do without it, myself included. I used to be an itinerant trader, traveling all over. I met all kinds of people back then. The Eremites, Treasure Hoarders, and even the Abyss Order. All of them, even the Abyss Mages, known for their stubbornness and mischief-making, would reconsider their views and seek my approval after I used that line.
I would even dare to say that if I could speak the language of Slimes or Hilichurls, they too would fall under the spell of that magic trick. So I would hate for everyone to know it, especially my competitors.
...
==Trivia==
* The name of this book and the quest it unlocks is a reference to the 1987 book by the 45th & 47th President of the United States and journalist .
* The book's cover reads NEGOTIATION in the Fontaine Script.
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
ru:«Искусство переговоров»