Give and take - In negotiations, you can make concessions and still get what you want

This post came out from The Straits Times (4 August 2014)
Title - Give and take

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Don't offer a concession right away
2. Don't offer a large portion of your $1,000 at once
3. Don't give a concession without getting something in return
4. Label all of your concession

On Don't offer a concession right away

• If you appear too willing to give away concessions, your negotiating partner will assume you will give more as the negotiation progresses. Make your partner work for everything he gets. The harder he works, the less he will demand and the more he will value the result. 

On Don't offer a large portion of your $1,000 at once

• Offering a substantial concession initially may signal that more concessions are available for the asking. Start with a modest concession, with later concessions of diminishing size. As your concessions get smaller, you signal that you are approaching your bottom line.

On Don't give a concession without getting something in return

• If your counterpart asks you for a concession, ask him for something in exchange. For example, you could say "I could do X for you if you do Y for me". 
• This lets him know he will not get anything for free, and he will be less likely to ask for something if he knows it will cost him. 
• You may be tempted to offer a concession to break a deadlock in the negotiation. If you do make a unilateral concession to get a stalled negotiation moving again, make sure you don't give another one until your counterpart concedes something to you.
• If you give two concessions in a row without reciprocation, your counterpart will ask for a third, and a fourth, and a fifth.

On Label all your concession

• Everytime you give something, make it clear it is something of value that requires reciprocation from the other party. Do not allow your concessions to be dismissed as minor. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big