Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills

Siedel teaches a clear four-stage framework — prepare, negotiate, close, perform — grounded in the behavioural research rather than a list of tricks, and the end-of-course exercise makes it stick. The same framework transfers straight to salary talks, vendor deals and internal decisions, which is why it has drawn over 1.4 million learners.

It is an introduction, so an experienced negotiator or someone wanting sector-specific tactics will find it broad. The certificate needs a paid Coursera subscription, though the free audit covers the learning. The material is principles-based and stays relevant (as of 2026).

Successful Negotiation is one of Coursera's most-enrolled courses across any subject, with over 1.4 million learners — a signal that negotiation skill is broadly wanted but poorly taught in most professional settings. George Siedel teaches a four-stage negotiation framework: prepare (interests, BATNA, opening position), negotiate (tactics, psychology, common mistakes), close (creating and signing agreements), and perform (the aftermath of a deal). He grounds it in both business cases and the underlying behavioral research rather than treating it as a list of tricks.