Because of market fluctuations or other economic conditions, you may enter a negotiation with an apparent advantage or disadvantage (register for our Feb. 27 webinar, Negotiating as an underdog, event # 662671449, password: scot). Either way, you need to act with smarts and integrity.

For example, if you're a vendor that serves an oil company dealing with declining oil prices, you may feel squeezed and be asked to lower your fees to a level that leaves little or no profit margin. In response, you can make this type of counter proposal:  

"We'll charge you 50% of the fee upfront and withhold invoicing the balance until oil prices hit an agreed-upon amount (e.g., $60 per barrel), at which point you'll pay 50% of what you owe. Then, when the price reaches $75 per barrel, you'll pay 100% of your balance. If you'd like to go a step further, when the per-barrel price reaches $90, you'll pay us 110% of what you owe."

This proposal gives your buyer what it's looking for on terms acceptable to you--assuming the risk you're taking is worth a premium when the market stabilizes. 

Turning the tables, if you hold the advantage over those on the other side, work with them in a way that helps solve their problems as well as yours.