Secrets of Power Negotiating, 15th Anniversary Edition

Chapter 13

Always Ask for a Trade-Off

The Trade-Off Gambit tells you that, any time the other side asks you for a concession in the negotiations, you should automatically ask for something in return. The first time you use this Gambit, you’ll get back the money you invested in this book many times over. From then on, using it will earn you thousands of dollars every year. Let’s look at a couple of ways of using the Trade-Off Gambit.

Let’s say that you have sold your house, and the buyers ask you if they could move some of their furniture into the garage three days before closing. Although you wouldn’t want to let them move into the house before closing, you see an advantage in letting them use the garage. It will get them emotionally involved ...