Negotiation Tactics

adverb in a way that is favorable or beneficial; in a manner that gives an advantage

• The company decided to strategically position their new product advantageously in the market.
• He always manages to place himself advantageously in any situation.
• She played her cards advantageously and won the game.
• The artist advantageously used light and shadow to create a stunning painting.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this phrase, 'purposes' is a noun referring to the reasons or intentions behind someone's actions.

adjective A word that describes or modifies a noun. In this phrase, 'cross' is an adjective indicating a situation where two or more things are in opposition or conflict with each other.

preposition A word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. In this case, 'at' is a preposition indicating a specific location or position.

• The two departments seemed to be working at cross purposes, unable to align their strategies.
• It was clear that they were at cross purposes when they couldn't agree on a plan.
• They were totally at cross purposes, like two ships passing in the night.
• Their relationship was strained, as if they were constantly at cross purposes with each other.

noun a lack of honesty or trust; deceitful or dishonest behavior

adjective not acting in good faith; deceitful or dishonest

• The contract was terminated due to the party acting in bad faith.
• I can't believe they sold us that car in bad faith.
• He was totally in bad faith when he made that promise.
• Her actions were like a dark cloud of bad faith hanging over the project.

noun a person who talks boastfully or arrogantly

• He was known as a big talker in the business world, always making grand promises he couldn't keep.
• Don't listen to him, he's just a big talker who never follows through on anything.
• That guy is all bark and no bite, a total big talker.
• She may seem like a big talker, but deep down she's just trying to cover up her insecurities.

noun a flattering or pleasing statement or action used to persuade someone gently to do something

• The salesman used blandishments to persuade the customer to make a purchase.
• She couldn't resist his blandishments and ended up buying the car.
• He laid on the blandishments pretty thick to get her to go out with him.
• The blandishments of fame can sometimes lead people astray.

verb to pay someone in order to persuade them to act in one's favor, especially illegally or dishonestly

• The company was accused of trying to buy off government officials to secure the contract.
• He thought he could buy off the police officer with a bribe.
• She tried to buy off her friends with free drinks at the bar.
• You can't just buy off your problems, you have to face them head on.

verb to persuade someone to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery

• The politician tried to cajole the voters into supporting his campaign.
• She always knows how to cajole her friends into going shopping with her.
• I can't believe he was able to cajole his way out of getting a speeding ticket.
• The sun's rays seemed to cajole the flowers into blooming earlier than usual.

noun skill in achieving one's ends through deceit or evasion

adjective having or showing skill in achieving one's ends through deceit or evasion

• The cunning fox outsmarted the hunter by leading him into a trap.
• She's a cunning one, always finding a way to get what she wants.
• That guy is so cunning, he could sell ice to an Eskimo.
• Her cunning smile told me she had a secret plan up her sleeve.

noun a situation of being forced to do something against one's will

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The defendant claimed that he signed the contract under duress.
• She only agreed to go under duress.
• I only did it because I was under duress.
• The artist created his masterpiece under the duress of a looming deadline.

verb to obtain or achieve something by devious or dishonest means

• The lawyer tried to finagle a better deal for his client.
• I'm going to try to finagle some extra time off work.
• She managed to finagle her way into the VIP section of the concert.
• He always knows how to finagle his way out of trouble.

verb to hand over or give something unwillingly or reluctantly

• The company demanded that the client fork over the remaining balance before the project could proceed.
• If you want to join us for dinner, you'll have to fork over some cash for your share.
• I had to fork over fifty bucks just to get my car back from the impound lot.
• It's time to fork over your excuses and take responsibility for your actions.

noun a hand in poker containing four cards of the same suit

verb to bluff or deceive in poker by pretending to have a strong hand

• The poker player attempted a four flush by drawing for a fifth card of the same suit.
• He thought he could pull off a four flush in the game, but ended up losing.
• I went all in on a four flush, hoping to scare off the other players.
• Her promises were just a four flush, with no real intention of following through.

verb to behave in a servile or submissive manner; to act in a demeaning way to seek forgiveness or favor

• The employee had to grovel to the board of directors in order to keep his job.
• I can't believe he's groveling for forgiveness again.
• Stop groveling, it's embarrassing.
• She refused to grovel to anyone for the promotion she deserved.

noun a person who is strict or uncompromising in their attitudes or behavior

• The hardnose manager was known for her strict adherence to company policies.
• Don't mess with the hardnose teacher, she doesn't tolerate any nonsense.
• That hardnose cop gave me a ticket for parking in the wrong spot.
• His hardnose attitude towards negotiations often led to successful outcomes.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

• I always make sure to have the necessary documents in hand before attending the meeting.
• Don't worry, I have the tickets in hand for the concert tonight.
• I've got the cash in hand to buy those sneakers I've been eyeing.
• She always has a plan in hand for any unexpected situation.

noun a verb phrase meaning to hesitate or speak evasively

verb to hesitate or speak evasively

• During the meeting, the committee members continued to hem and haw over the budget proposal.
• Stop hemming and hawing and just make a decision already!
• Quit hemming and hawing and just pick something, dude.
• She always hems and haws when it comes to making important life decisions.

noun a person who seeks to influence others, especially through the use of political power or personal connections

• The investigation revealed that the individual was operating as an influence peddler within the political circles.
• I heard that guy is an influence peddler, always trying to get people to do what he wants.
• Stay away from that influence peddler, he's bad news.
• In the world of business, some people are like influence peddlers, always trying to sway decisions in their favor.

adjective describing something that causes fear or nervousness; frightening

• The new project manager has a very intimidating presence in meetings.
• I find his stare quite intimidating, to be honest.
• She's got this intimidating vibe that makes everyone nervous.
• The towering skyscrapers of the city can be quite intimidating to newcomers.

verb to persuade someone to do something through deception or flattery

• The con artist tried to inveigle the elderly couple into investing in a fraudulent scheme.
• She always tries to inveigle her friends into going shopping with her.
• The scammer managed to inveigle the unsuspecting victim into giving away their personal information.
• The politician tried to inveigle support from the opposing party by offering them incentives.

noun a joint of a finger when the fist is clenched

verb to submit or yield to pressure or authority

• He refused to knuckle under to the demands of the opposition party.
• She won't knuckle under to anyone, no matter how powerful they are.
• I'm not going to knuckle under to that bully!
• Sometimes it's better to knuckle under and avoid unnecessary conflict.

verb to reveal or disclose something that was previously hidden or secret

• He did not let on that he knew about the surprise party.
• She didn't let on that she had already seen the movie.
• I didn't let on that I had the answers to the test.
• The detective didn't let on that he had solved the case until the very end.

noun a proposal or suggestion

verb to present or proffer something for acceptance or rejection

adjective used to describe something that is presented or proposed

• The company decided to extend a job offer to the top candidate.
• I heard they're going to offer you the position tomorrow.
• I can't believe they're gonna make you an offer, that's awesome!
• She offered her friendship to him in a time of need.

noun the practice of achieving an advantage over others through a display of superior skills or abilities

• The constant one-upmanship between the two rival companies led to a fierce competition for market dominance.
• There's always a bit of one-upmanship going on between my siblings when it comes to achievements.
• The group of friends engaged in a game of one-upmanship to see who could come up with the most outrageous story.
• The artist's use of bold colors and intricate details in his paintings was a form of one-upmanship against traditional styles.

noun an introduction to something more substantial

• The composer began the symphony with a grand overture to set the tone for the rest of the piece.
• The movie started with an overture that got everyone excited for what was to come.
• The party kicked off with a bangin' overture that got everyone in the mood to dance.
• The CEO's announcement served as an overture to the major changes coming to the company.

verb to talk or act insincerely or deceitfully

• It is unethical to palter with the truth in a court of law.
• I can't believe you tried to palter your way out of that situation!
• Stop paltering and just tell me the truth.
• She didn't want to palter with her feelings any longer and decided to be honest with herself.

noun a cumulative series of bets in which winnings accruing from each transaction are used as a stake for a further bet

verb to exploit successfully

• He decided to parlay his initial investment into a successful business venture.
• She's hoping to parlay her popularity on social media into a career as an influencer.
• I'm gonna try to parlay this small win into a big payday at the casino.
• She was able to parlay her natural charm into getting people to do what she wanted.

noun a religious offering made to express gratitude or seek peace

• The diplomat presented a peace offering to end the conflict between the two countries.
• I brought a peace offering of cookies to my neighbor after our disagreement.
• I made a peace offering by offering to do my sibling's chores for a week.
• Her apology was like a peace offering, hoping to mend their broken relationship.

adjective an adjective that describes an action or command that must be obeyed without question; dictatorial or authoritative in tone

• The judge issued a peremptory order for the witness to testify immediately.
• The teacher gave a peremptory command for the students to stop talking.
• The coach's peremptory decision to bench the star player didn't sit well with the team.
• Her peremptory attitude towards criticism often alienates those around her.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'psychological moment' together functions as a noun phrase.

adjective A word that describes or modifies a noun. In this case, 'psychological' is an adjective that describes the type of moment being referred to.

• The speaker waited for the perfect psychological moment to deliver his closing remarks.
• She knew it was the right psychological moment to ask for a raise.
• He picked the best psychological moment to make his move.
• In chess, it's all about finding the psychological moment to make your winning move.

adjective showing a strong or forceful determination or desire to succeed

• She was known for her pushful attitude when it came to negotiating business deals.
• He can be a bit pushful when he really wants something.
• Don't be so pushful, just chill out and let things happen naturally.
• His pushful nature was like a bulldozer, plowing through any obstacles in his way.

adjective having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature

adverb in a sly or cunning manner

• The detective noticed the suspect's sly smile during questioning.
• She gave him a sly wink to let him know she was joking.
• He's always pulling sly pranks on his friends.
• The politician's sly tactics were finally exposed to the public.

verb to make something softer or more gentle

adverb softly or gently

• The company is looking to soften up their image with a new advertising campaign.
• I told him to soften up a bit and be more approachable.
• She needs to soften up and stop being so uptight.
• The warm sun helped to soften up the hard clay soil in the garden.

noun a horse or a figure of a horse behind which a hunter conceals himself

• The company used a stalking horse bid to test the market before officially putting the business up for sale.
• I heard they're using a stalking horse strategy to see how much interest there is in the property.
• They're putting out a stalking horse offer to see if anyone bites.
• The new policy was seen as a stalking horse for more drastic changes to come.

noun a refusal to change one's position or opinion

verb to refuse to change one's position or opinion

• The company decided to stand pat on their current pricing strategy.
• I think we should just stand pat and not make any changes for now.
• Let's just stand pat and see how things play out.
• Sometimes it's best to just stand pat and trust that things will work out in the end.

noun a person who uses force or threats to get what they want

• The suspect was apprehended by the police officer using a strong arm technique.
• He was able to open the stubborn jar with a strong arm.
• She won the arm wrestling match with her strong arm.
• The company used their strong arm tactics to secure the deal.

noun a persuasive argument or speech

adjective having the power to persuade or influence

• The speaker's suasive arguments convinced the audience to support the new policy.
• She's very suasive when it comes to getting people to try new things.
• His suasive skills are off the charts - he can talk anyone into anything!
• The artist used colors and shapes in a suasive way to evoke strong emotions in the viewer.

verb to avoid making a decision or committing oneself in order to gain time

• The politician tried to temporize during the debate to avoid committing to a definite stance.
• Don't temporize with me, just tell me the truth.
• Stop temporizing and make a decision already!
• Sometimes it's better to temporize and wait for the right moment to act.

verb to communicate an intention to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something

• The company issued a formal warning to the employee who was found to threaten their colleagues.
• I heard that someone is threatening to quit if they don't get a raise soon.
• Don't let that bully threaten you like that, stand up for yourself!
• The dark clouds threaten to ruin our outdoor picnic plans.

verb to act in a subservient manner; to submit or yield to someone else's wishes or demands

• The politician refused to truckle to the demands of the special interest groups.
• I won't truckle to my boss just because he's in a bad mood.
• She's always truckling to the popular kids at school.
• It's important to stand up for what you believe in and not truckle to peer pressure.

verb to insert or fit tightly between two objects or spaces

adverb used to describe the manner in which something is inserted or fitted tightly

• I need to wedge in this piece of wood to secure the structure.
• Let's wedge in a quick coffee break before we start the meeting.
• I managed to wedge in some time for a quick workout at the gym.
• She always finds a way to wedge in her opinion, no matter the topic.

noun a period of time during which one waits for a particular outcome or resolution

verb to remain in a place or situation until a particular event or period of time has passed

• We will wait out the storm in the safety of the shelter.
• Let's just wait out the traffic before we leave.
• We should wait out the drama and see how it plays out.
• Sometimes the best strategy is to wait out your opponent and strike at the right moment.

verb action word that expresses a state of being or an action

adjective describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb

• The scientist conducted an experiment to determine if the two samples would be saming in their chemical composition.
• I'm not sure if our tastes in music will be saming, but we can give it a try.
• I doubt our fashion sense will be saming, but who knows?
• Their personalities seemed to be saming, as they both had a love for adventure and spontaneity.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this phrase, 'hand' is a noun as it refers to a part of the body.

verb A word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. In this phrase, 'tip' is a verb as it indicates the action of revealing or exposing something.

pronoun A word that can function as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g. I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g. he, she, it). In this phrase, 'your' is a pronoun as it replaces the

• It is not advisable to tip your hand during negotiations.
• Don't tip your hand too soon in the game.
• Hey, don't tip your hand before we make a decision.
• She didn't want to tip her hand about her true feelings.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or state of being

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that specifies a noun as definite or indefinite

• It is advisable to keep sensitive information close to the vest in a corporate setting.
• I always keep my plans close to the vest so no one can steal my ideas.
• Hey, don't spill the beans about the surprise party, keep it close to the vest!
• She tends to keep her emotions close to the vest, not revealing much about how she truly feels.

noun a small carnivorous mammal with a long body and neck and short legs, able to prey on animals larger than itself

verb to avoid doing something by using dishonest or deceitful methods

• He tried to weasel out of taking responsibility for the mistake.
• She always tries to weasel out of doing her share of the work.
• Don't weasel out of your promise to come to the party.
• The politician tried to weasel out of answering the tough questions during the interview.

noun a word used to identify a person, place, thing, or idea, such as pretense

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, such as abandon or drop

preposition a word used to show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence, such as at

article a word used to indicate whether a noun is specific or unspecific, such as all

• The CEO decided to abandon all pretense at diplomacy and speak candidly about the company's financial struggles.
• She finally dropped all pretense at being interested in the meeting and started doodling on her notepad.
• He just said, 'Screw it!' and abandoned all pretense at caring about what others thought.
• When faced with the undeniable evidence, she had no choice but to drop all pretense at innocence and confess to the crime.

noun a noun that refers to the quality or state of being adamant or unyielding in attitude or opinion

• Her adamancy in sticking to the project timeline impressed the entire team.
• I admire your adamancy in refusing to give up on your dreams.
• His adamancy about always being right can be really annoying sometimes.
• The tree's adamancy in standing tall despite the storm symbolized resilience and strength.