Don t be First to Accede to Pressure on Primary Items

Don't be First to Accede to Pressure on Primary Items

Never be the first to concede on primary items. Always begin on secondary items. We know from our analysis which concessions are primary and which secondary. Try to ensure that your counterpart is the first to yield on a primary point. Remember that this negotiation will end at some position between your ideal and theirs. The closer to your ideal you can get, the better off you are. If you make the first primary concession, the chances are that the negotiation will swing more in your opponent's favour, simply because we have given something too large or too valuable too soon.

We are endeavouring all the time to 'match and trade'. That is why it is so important to trade carefully. If you feel that you are getting close to exhausting your secondary options, ask for something primary in return for a secondary move of your own. But never match a primary concession of your own for a secondary one of theirs.

This gets particularly acute as a deadline nears. Be particularly watchful when deadlines of any sort are involved. You may well find yourself ensnared by a deadline that you imposed earlier in the negotiation process. You can buy yourself time by suggesting that you call your office to see whether there is any way that the deadline could be extended by minutes, hours or even days.