BigSpeak’s EVP Ken Sterling is a a regular contributor to business publications, specializing in the field of negotiations. As an attorney and professor at USC ‘s Gould School of Law, he has plenty of research and practice behind his insights.

His recent article for Inc. lays out the importance of positivity and generosity when negotiating. An abundance mindset is an invaluable asset in the dealmaker’s toolkit, whereas scarcity mindsets only foster misery and anxiety. Those with such outlooks tend to focus on getting one over on other people rather than actually seeking positive outcomes, resulting in people not anting to do business with them and their eventual failure.

In order to develop your abundance mindset, and open yourself to more opportunities, start with these three tips:

• Practice generosity. Those who give are more successful than those who only take, and if people feel you are doing something for them, they will do more for you in turn.
• Be grateful. Contentment with what you have increases happiness and makes the world feel more abundant.
• Think positive. This means practicing optimistic thinking at a micro level, like changing the way you talk about yourself, to yourself. Changing your outlook helps you change your behavior, which in turn changes how others see you.