Black Belt Negotiating: Become a Master Negotiator Using Powerful Lessons from the Martial Arts

Dealing with Ultimatums

One form of deadlock is the ultimatum. Many white belt negotiators commonly toss out the words “Take it or leave it” or “That’s my final offer.” Remember what happens when you push against another person’s hand? The person instinctively pushes back. When you give an ultimatum, it probably won’t have the effect you’re looking for. The other party won’t give in. Instead, the person will harden his or her position.

What novice bargainers don’t realize is that an ultimatum is really a sign of weakness rather than strength. It basically says, “I’m out of ideas and too tired to be creative, so I hope this intractable language will force your hand.”

There are four ways to deal with an ultimatum:

1. Call the bluff by doing what ...