Rational brain · Negotiation & Sales Frames
Splitting the Difference Trap
'Let's meet in the middle' feels fair and is only fair if both starting numbers were honest; against an extreme opener, the midpoint is their target.
An everyday example
Their absurd $200K opening and your honest $100K 'meeting' at $150K.
What it can cost you
Rewarding extreme openings; conceding half the distance from your honest number to their fiction.
Warning signs
- The middle is where they wanted to be.
- My honest number is being treated as an opening bid.
One thing to do
Refuse to split from unjustified numbers; re-anchor on criteria and split, if at all, between two justified positions.
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