Opening and anchoring
Build rapport, set the agenda and make or meet the first offer. Lesson 46 of 58: Negotiation, CEFR C1.
Rapport first
- Start human: small talk, thanks for their time, something you genuinely appreciate about working with them. People make concessions to people they like and trust. Then set the agenda together: “Shall we start by agreeing what we want to cover today?”
- Thanks for making the time. It’s good to finally meet in person.
- Before we start, shall we agree on what we’d like to cover? (Setting the agenda)
Anchoring
- The first number on the table pulls the final deal towards it: that is anchoring. If you know the market well, open first, ambitious but defensible, with a reason: “Based on the scope and the timeline, we’re looking at 60,000.” A precise number (58,500) sounds researched; a round one sounds negotiable.
- Open firmly: say the number, give the reason, and stop talking. Do not apologise or soften the number itself.
- Based on similar projects, we’d propose fifty-eight thousand five hundred. (A precise, reasoned anchor)
- Our proposal is…, and here’s how we got there.
- Tip: Silence after your number is part of the offer. The first one to fill the silence usually gives something away.
Meeting their anchor
- If they anchor first and it is extreme, do not counter straight away, or you accept their frame. Acknowledge, re-anchor with your own reasoning, or ask how they got there: “That’s quite far from what we expected. How did you arrive at that figure?” “I’m afraid that’s well outside our range. Based on market rates, we were thinking closer to…”
- That’s a lot higher than we expected. How did you arrive at that figure?
- I’m afraid that’s not something we could work with. (Rejecting an anchor)
Lines to have ready
- Shall we start by agreeing on the agenda? (Setting the frame)
- Based on…, we’re proposing… (Anchoring with a reason)
- How did you arrive at that figure? (Questioning an anchor)
- That’s quite a long way from where we are. (Rejecting an anchor politely)
- What we had in mind was… (Counter-anchoring)
Your turn to speak
- Open a negotiation for something you are selling (your services, a car, a flat to rent): two lines of rapport, a proposed agenda, then your anchor with a reason, and silence. Then respond to an imagined extreme counter-anchor.
- I built rapport before business
- My anchor was precise and had a reason
- I stopped talking after my number
- I questioned their anchor instead of countering it
Watch your video back for
- Eye contact: on the camera, not the screen or the floor
- Posture: upright and still, shoulders down
- Hands: visible and open, moving with the words
- Face: it shows what you mean, and smiles where it should
Related
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