Take it or leave it

Disciplines > Negotiation > Negotiation tactics > Take it or leave it

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

When you make an offer to the other person, say 'take it or leave it'.

Leave a long pause after this, just looking expectantly at them (or maybe leaving them to stew for a while by themselves).

Show that if they leave it, then this is not important to you, for example by demonstrating your walk-away beforehand, or by acting in a casual manner.

Example

That's all I've got. Take it or leave it.

That's the best offer I can make. I've done as much as I can for you now, so you're going to have to take it or leave it.

Well, you can take it now, or you can leave it forever. If you don't take it, I really think you'll regret that decision for a long time.

Discussion

Saying 'take it or leave it' is a form of Alternative Close, that offers two choices, but where one is intended as being unacceptable, thus forcing the actual choice.

If the other person has a walk-away alternative, then leaving it may be a very real option, so be careful about using this method in such circumstances (for example by making sure your walk-away is better).