[kebman]

I'd say this depends on the situation you're negotiating. If your only means of communication are e-mails, your best bet is to keep the line of communication open, and present data that builds a case that they cannot ignore without risking a (heavy) loss.

If, however, you participate in face-to-face negotiations, you open up a whole slew of other possibilities of influence only limited by your personality and personal morals. As an example, a CEO friend of mine told me that he'd always make sure to get really drunk the day before an important negotiation, so he'd be grumpy and mean when he finally sat down at the table. Let's just say that his methods were in stark contrast to those promoted by Dale Carnegie.

[hnarn]

> a CEO friend of mine told me that he'd always make sure to get really drunk the day before an important negotiation

Extrapolating from my own capacity to think clearly while I'm hungover I would suspect this is a profoundly bad idea.

[kebman]

I guess that depends on just how drunk you get the day before. All I need to get grumpy, is to skip coffee in the morning lol.