84. The Law of Desire
The person who most wants the negotiation to succeed has the least bargaining power.
The more you want to make the purchase or sale, the less power you have. Skilled negotiators develop the art of appearing polite but uninterested, as if they have many other options, all of which are as attractive as the situation under discussion.
The first corollary of the Law of Desire is No matter how badly you want something, you should appear neutral and detached.
The more important something is to you, the more important it is for you to appear unemotional, unaffected, and unreadable. Don’t smile or appear interested in any way. An attitude of mild boredom is best.
The second corollary of the Law of Desire is The more you can ...
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