Negotiation Techniques

noun a tool or fastener used to clinch nails or bolts

• The clincher in the contract negotiations was the inclusion of a non-compete clause.
• The clincher for me was when they said there would be free food at the event.
• The clincher for us to go to the concert was when we found out our favorite band would be performing.
• The final goal scored in overtime was the clincher that secured the team's victory.

adjective having the effect of allaying suspicion or hostility, especially through charm or wit

• Her disarming smile put everyone at ease during the business meeting.
• His disarming charm made it easy to open up to him.
• She has a disarming way of getting what she wants without anyone suspecting a thing.
• The artist's use of disarming colors created a sense of calm and tranquility in the painting.

noun the act of intentionally delaying or obstructing progress

verb to intentionally delay or obstruct progress

• The foot dragging by the committee members is delaying the decision-making process.
• Stop with the foot dragging and let's get this project finished.
• Quit your foot dragging and pick up the pace!
• Her foot dragging on the issue showed her lack of enthusiasm for the project.

noun a slippery or oily substance used to reduce friction or lubricate machinery

verb to apply grease or lubricant to something in order to reduce friction or make it run smoothly

• In order to expedite the approval process, it is important to grease the wheels by submitting all necessary documentation.
• If you want to get things done quickly, you need to grease the wheels by talking to the right people.
• If you want to make sure your application gets approved, you gotta grease the wheels with some extra cash.
• A little bit of networking can help grease the wheels and get your project moving forward smoothly.

• The manager tried to mollify the angry customer by offering a refund.
• I tried to mollify my mom by promising to clean my room.
• He tried to mollify his friend by buying him a beer.
• The soothing music helped to mollify her anxiety.

noun poke

preposition in

• The customer was disappointed when he realized he had bought a pig in a poke.
• I can't believe I fell for that deal, it was a total pig in a poke.
• That new restaurant looked promising but turned out to be a pig in a poke.
• She thought she was getting a good deal on the car, but it turned out to be a pig in a poke.

noun a cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's own advantage

• The company's latest marketing ploy was met with mixed reviews from industry analysts.
• I see right through your little ploy to get out of doing the dishes.
• Nice try with that ploy, but I'm not falling for it.
• Her charm was just a ploy to get what she wanted.

verb to successfully communicate or convey a message or idea

adverb used to describe how something is done or achieved

• The presenter was able to put over the complex information in a clear and concise manner.
• She did a great job putting over her point during the meeting.
• I need to put over how awesome this new restaurant is to my friends.
• The actor's performance really put over the emotion of the scene.

noun a word that functions as the name of a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

adverb a word that modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb

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

• He tried to squirm out of taking responsibility for the mistake.
• She always tries to squirm out of doing her chores.
• He's always looking for ways to squirm out of paying his share.
• The politician tried to squirm out of answering the tough questions during the debate.

verb To persuade or convince someone to do something through talking or reasoning.

• She tried to talk into the microphone but it wasn't working properly.
• I can't believe he talked into buying that expensive car.
• I talked him into skipping class and going to the beach instead.
• The hypnotist was able to talk into a state of deep relaxation.

noun a word that functions as the name of a specific thing or set of things, such as 'mouth'

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, such as 'take'

pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse, such as 'somebody'

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause, such as 'out of'

article a word that is used with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun, such as 'the'

• During the meeting, she was able to take the words out of his mouth by articulating her point clearly and concisely.
• I knew exactly what he was going to say next, so I took the words out of his mouth and finished his sentence for him.
• I totally took the words out of her mouth when I predicted what she was going to say before she could say it.
• His actions spoke louder than words, making it easy for me to take the words out of his mouth and understand his true intentions.