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P RINCIPLES OF N EGOTIA TION

•A document to be reviewed and signed bears the notation:
“Standard Form of Contract of Sale” or “Standard Form of
Lease” or similar language. This is intended to convey an aura
of legitimacy and dissuade buyers or tenants from negotiating
terms. But the reality is, there is no such thing as a standard
form. It is merely the work product of someone trying to con-
vince the reader that the document is nonnegotiable. EVERY
DOCUMENT IS NEGOTIABLE UNDER APPROPRIATE
CIRCUMSTANCES! You just have to find who has the author-
ity to make revisions and deal directly with that person. If he or
she really wants to make a deal with you, you can negotiate the
contract or the lease.
•Every new vehicle in a dealer’s showroom has an elaborate doc-
ument prominently displayed on a back window which bears
the legend: “Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price” (the
MSRP). It starts with the so-called basic price of a stripped-
down vehicle that nobody would actually want to buy. Then it
lists, at an inflated, unrealistic price, the value the manufac-
turer places on every item, which is not included in the basic
price. These are characterized as “optional features.” This cat-
egory can include air conditioning system, sound system com-
ponents, adjustable sideview mirrors, floor mats, a larger
engine (which the vehicle really needs), a special paint color,
and other features. At the bottom is the grand total. But in re-
ality the MSRP bears little resemblance to the price that the
dealer is willing to accept. So when the buyer gets a discount of
several thousand dollars off the MSRP he believes he got a
“great deal.” The aura of legitimacy created by the MSRP gives
that illusion.
•A real estate listing by a major real estate broker specified a
condominium apartment for sale at a price of “$3.6 million,
firm.” The word firm was inserted in the printed description of

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