Much of what the general public and the law enforcement community believe about terrorists and terrorist attacks is based on incorrect perceptions, propagated by factional accounts and the media. From the point of view of the crisis manager, the terrorist act should be treated the same as any other criminal act. Contrary to popular belief, terrorists generally are neither well educated nor well trained for their task. Furthermore, these individuals are often ill-prepared to respond to unknown variables and unforseen contingencies. Negotiation strategies and tactics for terrorist incidents are identical to those that would be used during any hostage or barricade incident. There are a finite number of strategies to choose from in such negotiations, with the critical factors involved varying with each specific situation. In this sense, the crisis management skills learned by law enforcement professionals in recent decades have largely prepared them to manage terrorist incidents. An outline of guidelines for negotiation is also provided. 11 references.