I have to buy a car, in this market!
In order to do it, I will need to unleash every negotiation trick in the playbook, including this old classic.
The Last One to Speak Buys the Product
I was once taught an old sales trick, which is that the “last person to speak buys the product.”
Think about the last time you were in a meeting where a decision had to be made or in a sales pitch where an estimate or budget was proposed.
There is a moment where the proposal is given.
Then?
Silence.
And silence is the strategy here. The next person to talk is the one who buys the product.
Let’s say you just asked somebody for money for a project. There are two ways to break the silence:
- You speak: This shows anxiety and lack of faith in what you did, and often comes with “ifs, ands, or buts.”
- They speak: They are either accepting your offer or countering anyway.
If they speak next, you win.
I once left a meeting room in silence for *checks watch* two minutes. I’m not kidding. It was among the most uncomfortable 120 seconds of my life.
But it worked. The client accepted the proposal.
The moral of the story?
If you are negotiating, whether it be in personal life or professional life, be confident in your ask and allow room for silence.
Enjoy the silence, and reap the rewards.