Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It

$1,730 a month for a year lease sound fair to you?”
The agent laughed and when he finished said there was
no way to accept that number, because it was way below
market price.
Instead of getting pulled into a haggle, Mishary smartly
pivoted to calibrated questions.
“Okay, so please help me understand: how do you price
lease renewals?”
The agent didn’t say anything shocking—merely that
they used factors like area prices and supply-and-demand—
but that gave Mishary the opening to argue that his leaving
would open the landlord to the risk of having an unrented
apartment and the cost of repainting. One month unrented
would be a $2,000 loss, he said.
Then he made another offer. Now, you’re probably
shaking your head that he’s making two offers without
receiving one in return. And you’re right; normally that’s

---

verboten. But you have to be able to improvise. If you feel
in control of a negotiation, you can do two or three moves at
a time. Don’t let the rules ruin the flow.
“Let me try and move along with you: how about
$1,790 for 12 months?”
The agent paused.
“Sir, I understand your concerns, and what you said
makes sense,” he said. “Your number, though, is very low.
However, give me time to think this out and we can meet at
another time. How does that sound?”
Remember, any response that is not an outright rejection
means you have the edge.
Five days later the two met again.
“I ran the numbers, and believe me this is a good deal,”
the agent started. “I am able to offer you $1,950 a month for
a year.”
Mishary knew he’d won. The agent just needed a little
push. So he praised the agent and said no without saying,
“No.” And notice how he brilliantly mislabels in order to get
the guy to open up?
“That is generous of you, but how am I supposed to
accept it when I can move a few blocks away and stay for
$1,800? A hundred and fifty dollars a month means a lot to
me. You know I am a student. I don’t know, it seems like