There are certain rules that experienced negotiators tend to follow. Among the most important rules is: never bid against yourself.
An experienced negotiator will often use silence as a tool. Rather than respond immediately to an offer, the experience negotiator will sometimes ignore it for awhile if the negotiator senses desperation on the other side. If the other side improves the offer in the face of silence, the experienced negotiator will know two things:
- The other side is not good at negotiations, and
- The other side badly wants to get a deal done.