Apr 21, 2021

Pivot to non-monetary terms

This post is going to be directly lifted from Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss:

People get hung up on “How much?” But don’t deal with numbers in isolation. That leads to bargaining, a series of rigid positions defined by emotional views of fairness and pride. Negotiation is a more intricate and subtle dynamic than that.
One of the easiest ways to bend your counterpart’s reality to your point of view is by pivoting to non-monetary terms. After you’ve anchored them high, you can make your offer seem reasonable by offering things that aren’t important to you but could be important to them. Or if their offer is low you could ask for things that matter more to you than them.

What are some things you can offer? Maybe a warranty on your product or service to give them peace of mind?

What are some things you might want? Maybe they can help promote you and your business?

Step away from the numbers and talk about the execution details that might make the deal better for everyone involved.