At the table, and negotiating salary
Step 1 / 4·Conditional concessions, never free ones
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Learning objectives — after this module you will:
- Use conditional trades to concede intelligently
- Break deadlock and recognise when to walk away
- Apply the framework to a salary negotiation
Conditional concessions, never free ones
Protect value when you have to give ground.
A common mistake: conceding unilaterally to 'show goodwill'. The effect is the opposite — the other side learns that pushing works, so they push again.
The golden rule: EVERY concession is conditional. The formula: 'IF you [what I need], THEN I can [what you need]'.
Two ways to concede
A free concession
“'Fine, I'll take 8% off.' (hoping they reciprocate out of goodwill)”
You've given away value for nothing, and taught them that pushing harder gets more.
A conditional trade
“'IF you raise the order to 500 units and pay within 15 days, THEN I can do 8%.'”
Every concession buys something of value, and it makes clear the price is tied to conditions rather than arbitrary.
Four concession principles
- Concede in SHRINKING steps: each move smaller than the last, signalling you're nearing your limit
- Concede what you value LESS in exchange for what you value more
- Negotiate the PACKAGE rather than item by item, so you keep room to trade
- Record everything agreed on the spot — misremembering what was agreed is the most common source of dispute
Key takeaway: Never concede for free — always use 'if… then…' and concede in shrinking steps.