Objective Criteria
Decide outcomes by reference to fair external standards, not by who has more leverage in the room.
When two sides are stuck, Ury argues for switching from "I want X, you want Y" to "what''s a fair external standard we''d both accept?" Market rates, expert opinions, regulatory floors, prior precedent, scientific consensus — anything outside the room. Once both sides agree the standard is legitimate, it''s no longer about who out-negotiates whom; it''s about what the fair answer is. Doesn''t eliminate negotiation, but pushes it onto solid ground rather than pure willpower.
Example
You
"Rather than argue about whether 12% or 18% is the right margin, what if we looked at the Q4 industry report? Whatever it says is fair, we both accept. If the report doesn''t exist, we pick a third standard together."
Counterpart
"I''d accept that. The Cushman report should settle it."
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