Chapter 8: Rules for Making Concessions

Trade in Small Steps

Be stingy. When we offer something, make the other person work for it. Trade concessions reluctantly, one by one. It makes buyers think they have got to our bottom line. We need to avoid making larger concessions as the negotiation progresses; in fact each concession should be smaller than the one before. That means of course that we have listed our concessions beforehand. We know already which ones are first on our list and we work through them one at a time. Don't indicate that there are more, otherwise you will be pressed for more.