Full disclosure: I may have come up with the title for this post (based on the famous book by Stephen Covey) first and then stretched three or four good points into seven to make it work. Anyway, here are my observations about productive and counterproductive negotiating techniques.
2. Never say no. It's a common refrain meaning we should find a way to decline without using the n-word. We are supposed to tell our bosses, "I should have time to do that next week," or tell our kids, "you can play outside rather than on the ipad." I don't know if those things work, but I do know there is nothing to be gained by responding to a trade offer with simply "no." Saying no doesn't give the offer-maker any information to work with.
In a similar vein, avoid the following responses to an opening salvo (most of which I have actually received):"haha""HA!"
"no thanks""lol""why on earth"
"fuck off""[tortorella voice:] this is why you could down as one of the more involved GMs in our league never to win anything." (this one is actually okay to use with Stefan, Eric or Fy)
You might be offended that someone thinks his third-line grinder is equivalent to your budding superstar, but those knee jerk responses don't advance the discussion and prematurely shut down what could become a mutually beneficial trade. A more constructive response might be, "I'm not looking to trade that guy, but if you're looking for defensive help I've got this guy available," or "I'm not super high on that player, but I would be interested in the following guys on your roster..." If a fair counter-offer jumps out at you, make it.
3. When reaching out to a fellow GM, be clear about whether you are kicking tires or making a firm offer. If you do make a firm offer, putting an expiry date on it helps avoid confusion.
4. That said, if someone makes an offer and doesn't explicitly put an expiry date on it, don't ignore it for weeks until your guy gets injured and then reply saying "deal" and copying the Commissioner.
5. Different GMs will have different inclinations to engage in spitballing and tire-kicking, but if you're approaching a GM, at least put a name from both teams on the table. My preference is for a well thought-out and complete offer to respond to. It doesn't have to be your best offer but it should be a reasonable, valid and slot-compliant offer.
6. Feel free to explain the rationale ("I think this is a win-win because you need X and I need Y"), but respect that every GM will want to make their own assessment of players' fantasy values. Which ties into the final point...
7. Don't go shitting on another GM's players. By all means, target a slumping Anze Kopitar, but don't tell his GM that he will never hit 50 points again. Similarly, pumping your own guys' tires can come off as disingenuous - unless your guy worked out with Gary Roberts all summer, which is pretty much a guaranteed 33% bump in production.
Those are my thoughts on trades. Now hit me up with a trade offer, or share your own observations/experiences below.
