Ron Shapiro is a New York Times best-selling author, founder of the Shapiro Negotiations Institute and the baseball agent who has represented more major league Hall of Famers than anyone else. But he built his business and reputation with his nice approach to negotiations. Shapiro, whose players included Kirby Puckett and Cal Ripken Jr., has written four books on the subject, including Perfecting Your Pitch: How to Succeed in Business and In Life by Finding Words that Work, which was released Friday.

Here are some practical pointers from the man responsible for more than $1 billion in contract negotiations:

Ron Shapiro -- Agent To The Most MLB Hall Of Famers -- Has 5 Practical Negotiating Tips Slideshow

Negotiating Tips From Ron Shapiro

The 3 P's: Prepare (with a checklist or planner), Probe (ask questions and listen), Propose (aim high with reason).

Negotiating Tips From Ron Shapiro

Neutralize: Keep your emotions in check.

Negotiating Tips From Ron Shapiro

Think About Mutual Gains: To get substantially what you want, help them get some of what they want.

Negotiating Tips From Ron Shapiro

Perfect Your Pitch: Script with Draft, Devil’s Advocate and Deliver with Confidence.

Negotiating Tips From Ron Shapiro

Build Relationships.

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Perfecting Your Pitch: How to Succeed in Business and In Life by Finding Words that Work is available for purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes.