MEPX
Chapter 5 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Preparation
  2. 2Positions and interests
  3. 3Creating value
  4. 4Anchors and offers
  5. 5Handling tactics
  6. 6Listening
  7. 7Relationship and reputation
  8. 8Salary and job offers
  9. 9Closing and writing it down
  10. 10Context and culture

Chapter 5 of 10

Handling tactics

Pressure, deadlines and bluffs.

Common moves

Artificial deadlines, good cop and bad cop, the higher authority, nibbling at the end, and the exploding offer. Naming a tactic calmly usually ends it.

  • Ask whether a deadline is real; genuine ones survive the question.
  • Late additions after agreement deserve a reopening of the whole package.

Staying steady

Silence is not a problem to solve. Taking a break, asking for time to consider, and being willing to walk away are the least dramatic and most effective responses available.