4
Overcoming Our Fears
Bargaining is the oldest form of negotiating, the mode where most deals start and many of them end. It’s no place for the faint of heart. Since we’re splitting a fixed and predetermined pot, my gain is your loss and your gain is my cost. Both sides are asking themselves, How can I get what I want while giving up as little as possible? That’s a sure recipe for conflict. And since conflict is threatening, people tend to skew to one of two poles: Eva’s yin or Mike’s yang, passive acceptance or hostile intimidation. Neither leads to satisfying outcomes.
The elusive sweet spot lies somewhere in between. Whether it’s simple haggling (a.k.a. price pushing) or a more complex deal, creative bargainers take a tough but balanced ...
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