Plan – Execute – Debrief
NEGOTIATION
LOOPS
A battle-tested system that teaches you to facilitate decisions rather than force agreements.
Most negotiation advice sounds great in theory but fails under pressure. This system does something radically different: it's built on the military OODA Loop framework and proven across thousands of real-world negotiations.
You've Been in That Room Before
The one where stakes are high, pressure is mounting, and you can feel your carefully prepared strategy beginning to unravel. A salary negotiation where you're not sure if you just gave away too much. A vendor discussion where you sense you're being maneuvered. A difficult conversation with family where everyone seems to see things differently.
What if you could walk into any of those situations with genuine confidence?
The Method
What Makes This System Different
Built on the OODA Loop
This legendary military decision-making framework—originally designed for fighter pilots in combat—adapts brilliantly to negotiation. Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.
Embraces "No" as Strategic
While conventional wisdom chases "yeses," this system recognizes that "no" creates safety and reduces emotional pressure. Paradoxically, it makes counterparts more willing to engage.
Anchored in Their Reality
Most negotiators operate from their own perspective—what they want, what they think is fair. This system trains you to anchor in your counterpart's frame of reference.
Grounded in Emotional Discipline
Neediness kills negotiations. So can the desire to be liked, or fear of hearing "no." This system provides structure to manage emotions—yours and theirs.
Systematic, Not Talent-Based
Two practical tools support your work: the Crib-Sheet for pre-negotiation planning and the Journal for post-exchange analysis. Enter prepared, leave with intelligence.
Decision-Centric, Not Agreement-Focused
Rather than seeking compromise, we facilitate effective decision-making. Sometimes the best deal is no deal at all.
The Framework
The OODA Loop Applied to Negotiation
Observe
Research to suspend assumptions and understand context
Orient
Define clear purpose and flexible planning
Decide
Make thoughtful decisions on priorities and approach
Act
Execute with effective questions and empathy
Work in iterations—loops—with each exchange building on the last, until all problems of the negotiation are reconciled. Transform negotiations from anxious improvisational performances into systematic, iterative execution.
Who It's For
This System Works for Anyone Who Negotiates
Which, if you think about it, is pretty much everyone.
Endorsements
What Leaders Are Saying
"Building a winning organization requires challenging conventional wisdom and making decisions based on systematic analysis rather than gut feel or tradition. Daniel Milks brings that same contrarian mindset to negotiation. Negotiation Loops rejects the tired 'win-win' approach in favor of a battle-tested framework grounded in military strategy and psychological reality. This is essential reading for anyone who needs to make high-stakes decisions when the pressure is on and the old playbook isn't working."
Billy Beane
Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, Oakland Athletics
Subject of Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
"Dan has taken the proven Military OODA Loop framework and transformed it into a powerful, practical system for real-world business negotiations. Negotiation Loops has become an invaluable tool in my own line of work. As a multiple Emmy-winning Co-Executive Producer on CBS's The Amazing Race and Secret Celebrity Renovation, I've produced television in more than 70 countries, often navigating language barriers, cultural differences, and complicated logistics on a timeline. Dan's techniques have helped me approach these challenges with clarity and confidence."
Robert "Bob" Mora
Emmy-winning Co-Executive Producer
CBS's The Amazing Race
About the Author
Daniel C. Milks
Daniel Milks has conducted thousands of high-stakes negotiations over 25 years, both at major Wall Street firms and through his own consulting practice.
His career spans senior roles at UBS, Credit Suisse, and Morgan Stanley, where he managed substantial contract portfolios in global financial services. This experience, combined with mentorship from negotiation pioneer Jim Camp Sr., led him to develop the systematic approach presented in Negotiation Loops.
The system synthesizes decades of negotiation practice with proven methodologies from military strategy—a novel integration based on thousands of hours of real-world negotiation work performed across time zones, cultures, industries, and circumstances.
Inside the Book
What You'll Discover
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Interested in training, speaking engagements, or consulting? I'd love to hear from you.