Develop your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) before approaching a negotiation

What are the actions you might take if no agreement is reached?
List them all down on a sheet of paper.

Improve your options and make them more realistic
Review the list you’ve just written down. Which options seem most promising to you? Choose one or two, then make them more realistic by pursuing them. For example, if it’s a job at another company, try getting an offer from them. Having one job offer in hand will make your other job negotiations much easier (and less stressful).

Choose the best BATNA from your list
Select only one, preferably the one that you made realistic at the previous step.