Negotiation.

The framework

1. 01

   Set the anchor first — and set it high.

   Research consistently shows that the party who anchors first wins more, even when the anchor is obviously extreme. The anchor creates a reference point the other side can't fully ignore, even when they know it's inflated. The opening offer should be ambitious — not insulting, but well above your target. A useful rule: anchor at the point where the other side feels compelled to respond, not to walk. If they accept your opening offer without negotiating, you anchored too low. If they leave, you misjudged the room. Most first offers that feel too high turn out to be about right.

2. 02

   Reframe, don't just counter.

   When the other side anchors first, the instinct is to split the difference or counter with your number. Both are traps — splitting validates the anchor as a reasonable midpoint, and countering with a bare number has less force than an anchored offer. The better move: explicitly reject the anchor before providing yours. 'I appreciate the offer but that number doesn't reflect the market — let me give you our assessment.' Reframing the anchor before you counter breaks its gravitational pull. You're resetting the reference point, not negotiating within theirs.

3. 03

   Use bracketing when you don't control the anchor.

   Bracketing is anchoring with range logic. If you want $100k, open at $130k. When they counter at $70k, you split the difference toward your target. The bracket creates the appearance of movement and compromise while the outcome lands near where you intended. FBI negotiation trainer Chris Voss calls this 'calibrated ranges' — the key is to let the other side feel they've extracted concessions while you're navigating toward a predetermined destination. Bracketing doesn't require dishonesty; it requires preparation. Know your target, know your bracket, know your floor before the conversation starts.

4. 04

   Strip emotion from the anchor.

   The reason most people anchor too conservatively is psychological: high anchors feel aggressive, uncomfortable, presumptuous. This feeling is the trap. The other side is not offended by a high opening offer — they expected one. They're calibrating. The most effective negotiators are comfortable with silence after an anchor, with the other side's theatrical offence, with conceding slowly and deliberately from a position they chose. Anchoring is not aggression; it's geometry. You're drawing the map that everything else gets measured against.