Once Upon a Deal… brought us a collection of stories that revealed how the principles of negotiation play out in everyday life. Now this new volume, published to mark Scotwork’s 50th anniversary as the world’s leading negotiation skills training company, brings even more entertaining, up-to-the-minute stories drawn from the team’s extensive and rich experience across many sectors and situations. Negotiation is everywhere: discover how to do it well.

Conflict is a constant in all areas of commerce, politics and society. As one of the most important ways to resolve conflict, having an understanding of negotiation is vitally important and whilst we believe improving capability is best done in a classroom (physical or virtual) this book will help the reader understand some of the core principles of negotiation through the lens of Scotwork’s 8-Step Framework.

Whether you’re negotiating the price of your house extension or a major commercial or trade deal, the insights from these stories will help you get a better deal.

Get ready to rethink negotiation, and discover practical tips and tricks along the way to build your skill and confidence.

Celebrating SCOTWORK’s 50th year in developing capability in negotiation. A new up-to-date set of stories drawn from the team’s extensive and deep experience in negotiation across many sectors and negotiation contexts.

Once Upon a Deal… reveals that effective negotiation is an art, showcasing how creativity, fresh approaches and listening with a curious and open mind can lead to success. Ruth Buchanan – Commercial Support Lead, John Lewis & Partners

Investing in negotiation training with Scotwork has been a game-changer for our business. With around 50% of our team trained, we’ve not only strengthened our confidence when negotiating with much larger customers but have also shifted to a position of strength – fully understanding and articulating the value we bring. The impact has been tangible and immediate. In just six months post-training, we successfully closed one of the largest deals in our company’s history and increased our profitability by tens of thousands of pounds. The insights, strategies and mindset shift we gained through this programme have trans- formed how we approach negotiations, and the results speak for themselves. I highly recommend Scotwork to any organisation looking to elevate their negotiation skills and drive mean- ingful business outcomes. Sheri Hickok – CEO, Climate Impact Partners

As a fan of negotiation theory and a lover of great storytelling, Once Upon a Deal… makes the theory really come alive through entertaining and compelling anecdotes. From negotiating with the EU to negotiating with your mother, and from negotiating the price of a hotel room to negotiating with your dog to keep him from chasing grouse, this book shows how having a solid negotiation plan will always get you better results. Once Upon a Deal will show you how to think like Stephen Hawking and Abraham Lincoln and even show you how to negotiate a gold medal at the Olympic Games. It takes academically-proven theory, on which Scotwork’s world- class training is based, and illuminates the theory through a wonderful collection of stories. You’ll earn the price of the book back a thousand-fold! Ben Fricke – Global Procurement Director, Whitbread

An outstanding compilation that allows us to draw up the experiences of others to help with your own negotiation journey. Bobby Singh – SVP, Global Commercial Officer, WPP

As a publisher, I believe in the power of storytelling and Once Upon a Deal applies this most effective tool to the art of negotiation. These stories, distilled from years of knowledge and application, and told in an engaging, absorbing manner, will enhance any reader’s skills in this area. David Young – Retired CEO of Hachette Book Group, USA

An invaluable guide to life – I just wish I’d read it 30 years ago. Jane Garvey – award winning broadcaster

Once Upon a Deal… not only offers insightful, thought-pro- voking strategies and analysis, it also provides real world practical advice on how to navigate and succeed in the of the art of negotiation. Horace has managed to distil his vast experience into a simple but compelling read. A fantastic tool for all. Amadu Sowe – Senior Vice President, Paramount

A lively and entertaining guide to the often-undervalued art of negotiation that is full of practical advice and tips on how to end up with the best possible deal. Jonathan Prynn – Associate Editor, Evening Standard

• Cover
• Endorsements
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Chapter 1: Effective preparation
  • Penalty!
  • Negotiator Barbie: lessons from Mattel’s iconic success
  • ‘It’s the economy stupid’
  • Shifting sands
  • Trick or treating
  • Man ‘o’ man
  • Blossoming confusion
  • Crystal balls
  • AI gone wrong…
  • Giving to get
  • Olympic success
  • Caught off guard?
  • Please open the gate!
  • No alarm and no surprises
  • Looking through my lens…
  • Unwrapping success in the retail industry
  • The house always wins
  • Do you say yes to the dress?
• Chapter 2: The Argue step
  • A stitch in time
  • The importance of being open
  • The not so subtle art of persuasion
  • Behaviour breeds behaviour
  • It’s not you, it’s me
  • Think fast, slowly
  • Sliding windows
  • Back off!
  • Negotiating space
  • The sooner the better…
  • Biden bows out
  • Hyperbole
  • Do you feel lucky?
  • Question mark
  • Power play
• Chapter 3: Reading and responding to signals
  • Get the picture?
  • A negotiator’s crystal ball?
  • The sound of silence
  • Signal failure?
  • Not even in the room
  • ‘These are not the droids you are looking for’
  • The imbalance of power
  • Flash Keegan
• Chapter 4: Creating momentum through proposals
  • My kind of proposal this Valentine’s
  • A Messi way to negotiate
  • Brownie points
  • Go extreme or go home
  • Rubbish on the streets of Edinburgh
  • Two important tactical negotiating lessons
  • Tell me why…
  • Who goes first?
  • A strategy in need of surgery?
  • Proposals that take the risk
  • The meaning of lie
  • Pholly
• Chapter 5: Packaging to create more value
  • It’s a man’s world?…
  • When is the price the price?
  • ’Tis a season to be (not so) jolly
  • ’Ave yer done?
  • You want it when????
  • Another fine mess!
  • The hair stays
  • Drastic discounts or deception…
• Chapter 6: Bargain to create more value
  • Price increases
  • Cupid’s arrows
  • Just plumb wrong!
  • Pennies from heaven?
  • The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there
  • Creativity: it’s more than just chickens confronting existence
  • Red, red line
  • Beware the perils of giving in
  • From left field
  • The bank is closed…
• Chapter 7: Close to getting the deal over the line
  • Beware the trap of just one more thing
  • Do I or don’t I say?
• Chapter 8: Agree and document what has been agreed
  • What did I just agree to, again?
  • Mine all mine
  • When you let ‘the boss’ get involved in the negotiation when they are not prepared
  • Wanna bet?
  • Agreeing: the work of the devil
• Once Upon a Deal… – Author bios
  • John McMillan (Scotwork Founder)
  • Alan Smith
  • Stephen White
  • Horace McDonald
  • David Bannister
  • Tom Feinson
  • Annabel Shorter
  • Ellis Croft
  • Ann Parr
  • Siobhan Bermingham
• Index

FORMAT / ISBN / PUBLICATION DATE / RRP

Paperback / 9781788607667 / May 13, 2025 / £14.99

Ebook / 9781788607674 / May 12, 2025 / £7.99

Paperback and eBook Bundle / £16.99

Horace McDonald

Horace McDonald has spent his career managing clients or people and fell into negotiation by accident. It never ceases to amaze him how little people understand it.
The team of negotiation experts at Scotwork regularly post short stories on the company’s blog illustrating the way in which this essential skill for life and business plays out in companies around the world every day.
Scotwork has been in the business of developing capability in commercial negotiation for nearly 50 years, and continues to lead the way in helping people not just negotiate better, but enjoy the process more.