Driven to save myself and my family from financial ruin, I jumped into the deep end of the industrial real estate industry. I knew nothing about negotiating. All I knew was that I had to close deals—bringing interested parties together, getting them to agree, and seeing that everyone walks away a winner. I no longer sell real estate, but I still rely heavily on the negotiating skills I learned. Sometimes, it’s a complex issue, but most of the time, it’s just a series of one-minute negotiations. You are a negotiator, too. You negotiate with kids, your spouse, bosses, co-workers, employees, creditors, vendors, friends, clerks, and salespeople. You negotiate with telemarketers and repair people, teachers and neighbors. You negotiate using your words, your tone, your body language, even your silence. Negotiating is the way you get what you want, whether it’s a major purchase or your teenage son to put the …