What a thrill it was to be prominently featured in a Wall Street Journal article that wasn't about negotiation per se, but about communication--specifically emails. The column recounted my email dialogue with Lead Tutor Jill Campen, which began as a misunderstanding and ended with total agreement and a few laughs.

Effective communication is essential for successful negotiation. Never let a misunderstanding get in the way of your effort to close the deal.   

Maybe the other person is acting differently than you expected, as was the case with Jill and me. Or maybe your communication styles differ (see "Are you misreading the other side's signals?" below).  Regardless of what caused the confusion, clarify it right away. Plus, to help avoid misunderstandings, summarize frequently.

In negotiation and in life, clarity breeds better outcomes.