Summary: Making an offer and assuming a counterpart will accept it.

With this tactic, you make an offer and assume that your counterpart will take it. You’ve undoubtedly met salespeople who, before a negotiation has been settled, just assume you will buy their product and ask, “How Would You Like to Pay for That—cash or credit card?”

Example

You are asking $300,000 for your house. You’ve stated that you’ll consider taking less if the buyer will agree to a short escrow, but you haven’t specified how much less would be acceptable to you. The buyer says he’ll buy your house for $270,000 and asks if you’d prefer a fifteen or thirty day escrow.

Counter

First, you could use the tactic of YIKES! You’ve Got to Be Kidding!-blowing up to get the price back to a respectable figure. Second, you could try making a Trade-Off Concession. You could say that you will accept the price of $270,000 if the buyer will pay in cash and buy the next day. Third, using I’ll Meet You in the Middle. You could come up with a higher price and split the difference. Fourth, you could utilize These Boots Are Made for Walking.

Have you used or encountered this tactic in your negotiations? If so, how’d it go?