Agencies should refuse to pitch if a prospective client will not provide a budget. This policy protects valuable resources from being wasted on ill-defined or non-committal opportunities. There are polite but firm ways to request this crucial information before proceeding.

Contrary to classic advice, literary agent Suzanne Gluck avoids making the first offer. She builds a compelling case, letting the other party's enthusiasm potentially lead them to a number higher than she would have proposed. If their offer is too low, she simply dismisses it and resets the baseline.

When M&A negotiations stall, the root cause is often sentimental, not financial. Uncovering a seller's personal attachment (e.g., hunting rights, a favorite truck, community sponsorships) allows for creative, non-monetary solutions that have high emotional value for the seller but low cost for the buyer, getting the deal across the finish line.

Tommy Mello's father taught him a core lesson by making him negotiate for a CB radio as a child: you must not be afraid of rejection. The act of asking, even when it seems unreasonable, opens doors and creates possibilities you wouldn't otherwise have.

To get his first book deal, the host ignored the standard advice of finding an agent and instead sent query letters to 100 publishers listed in a directory. This naive, high-volume strategy, while defying industry protocol, resulted in two offers, demonstrating that direct, persistent action can succeed without insider knowledge.

Asking a client for their budget is a mistake because they aren't the expert and don't know what's truly possible. Instead, present a vision of the ideal outcome to educate them on a better solution. This shifts the conversation from price to value, often leading to a much larger sale.

In traditional publishing, the size of an author's advance is a direct indicator of the publisher's internal commitment. Large advances force publishers to allocate top resources to ensure success, while smaller advances result in minimal effort and attention for the book.

When a landlord refused to rent her a space that had been vacant for two years, Anastasia Soare successfully negotiated by offering a six-month trial period. She framed it as a no-lose situation for the owner, demonstrating persistence and creative deal-making to overcome her lack of a track record.

In the *Freakonomics* deal, agent Suzanne Gluck repeatedly raised the price and tightened terms *after* the publisher agreed. This "yesterday's price is not today's price" tactic leverages the buyer's escalating commitment and fear of loss, forcing them to chase the deal.