The Ghost Partner Is A Simple Way To Get Out Of A Tight Spot

Experienced negotiators know how to put pressure on others in very subtle ways.

And when you are up against one, you could very well find yourself unexpectedly pressured into agreeing a deal when you are not yet ready to do so.

A common way where regular people are cornered into dealing is when they make a particular demand thinking that that demand will not be conceded by the other party.

It can be something like “I will close if the price is 10% more”. Little did they know that the other party had already envisioned this scenario and fully ready to make that concession.

He could have already started negotiations at a very low price and 10% is a small concession to make in order to close fast. And when he agrees to meet your 10% extra, you have a decision to make on the spot… or risk looking like a spineless business person.

You will either be a man of your word and finalize the deal. Or be a lesser man and back out from what you said.

It can be tough to refuse dealing when put into such situations. Because your self-image of yourself could be someone who walks the talk. Retreating on your own words will reveal you as an individual who is indecisive or just plain playing games.

This is a common method used by salespeople to subtly put enormous pressure on prospects to make a purchase. And it can be a very easy decision to make for the buyer if the price is something that is negligible.

This is why it’s common for high-pressure sales presentations to ask the question: How much would you be willing to pay?

If you give a reasonable answer about the price you’d pay, you are as good as closed because the counter from the salesperson would most likely have a good response after scripting and rehearsing it for hours beforehand.

It is not difficult to make a $10 purchase even if it is something that will be just another white elephant in your living room.

The mental agony comes when the product or service in question is something of considerable value or is a luxury item that is not a necessity… like a timeshare…

So do you close or back out when backed into a corner with your principles on the line?

Simple proven negotiation tactic

There is actually a very easy way to get out of such a situation where your self-image and ego is preserved.

And because of social rules, the negotiator applying that pressure on you cannot fault you for backing off and requesting more time to make your decision.

It is one of those situations where they know you could be bluffing. But calling you out of it is disrespectful and harmful to their own self-image instead.

It’s just like an employee calling in sick when his manager feels that he is not really sick. But calling out the employee this way makes the manager look like a jerk. It is also unprofessionally calling the employee’s doctor a fraud who just gave out dubious medical certificate.

In circumstances like this, the manager almost always walk away from even questioning the legitimacy of the employee’s health status.

The simple way for you to get out of that corner is by saying that you have a (ghost) partner you have to discuss it with.

This is a play that nobody can question unless you have declared beforehand that you are the ultimate decision maker in the deal.

But even if you have made that rookie mistake, you can still back off by saying you need to discuss with Investment Advisor, Human Resource manager, Marketing Director, real estate attorney, and so on.

If you are an extreme player of the game, you might even come back to the negotiating table and say your partner want more terms compromised.

You see, once you get off the table and come back, you can legitimately name new terms due to your “discussion” as it becomes a difference phase of play.

This is why power salesmen know when to push a sale through when the opportunity arises.

They do not allow prospects to walk off without closing. Because there is always the possibility that they would come back with new demands.

When you are in a consumer situation where you are buying something like a refrigerator, you could be pushed into a corner when a salesperson agrees to sell at your price which you mentioned off-hand.

You could have mentioned your price ceiling thinking that it is impossible that a promoter would agree to it. Now that the discount is staring in your face, you are expected to close.

Similar to a business situation, you can easily get out of that tight spot by saying you need to discuss it with your husband or wife. You can then walk away with your ego intact.

And if you want, go back later and demand more discounts or freebies. This is a classic method for people to achieve their negotiation goals.

In this way, you completely turn the tables on the other party.

Because now, the other party has already made an offer that revealed his position. Which is why you often find salespeople totally pissed when their targets are able to deflect away these tight situations… because the salesperson has just revealed his hidden cards without closing!

When price positions are uncovered in negotiations, people are expected to negotiate upwards or downwards.

But since the offer to deal has already been exposed, that becomes the maximum price you will be willing to pay when you are the buyer. Any deal at this point onwards cannot go beyond that price since the seller has already disclosed his minimum closing price.

If your opponent is unprepared for your negotiation tactics, he could compromise even more because since he has already put his cards on the table, the objective now is to close at all costs.

They is nothing more to lose.

But if he is a well-versed negotiator with a big-picture strategy on hand, he could throw that trick back onto you be saying he needs to talk to his manager. And later come back to legitimately ask for more as explain above.

See the game being played here?

So if you have played that ghost partner card first, you have to close at a favorable position when you come back to the table later.

If you allow an excuse for the other party to get off the table just to return later, you could be hit with a counter offer that is a lesser offer. And he will know not to let you get off the hook this time.

Keep this smart tactic in mind to save your deals and more importantly, your reputation as someone who is a man of his word.

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