Good morning and welcome to The Closer, the newsletter all about deals. Today’s edition is short and sharp — one tactic, backed by research, to help you negotiate smarter. No headlines, no noise — just a Nugget you can deploy by lunchtime.
If you have a friend trying to work something out – a big deal, a tricky negotiation – please forward this to them.
Join the community by following us on X and Linkedin.
DEADLINE
PRESSURE
TACTICS
Closer Tactic #58 • Deal Psychology
Most people see deadlines as constraints.
Pros use them as weapons.
The Nugget
Strategic deadline pressure can accelerate favorable outcomes, but artificial deadlines often backfire.
When SoftBank's Masayoshi Son invested in Uber, he reportedly gave Travis Kalanick a genuine 24-hour deadline due to competing investment opportunities. The time pressure led to a quick $1.25 billion deal. However, when WeWork tried artificial deadline tactics with potential investors in 2019, sophisticated investors saw through the manufactured urgency and walked away.
How to Deploy
• Use real deadlines (board meetings, fiscal year-ends, competitor moves)
• Explain the genuine reason behind time pressure
• Offer something valuable in exchange for speed
Avoid fake deadlines with sophisticated counterparts—they'll call your bluff.
Takeaway
Real deadlines create urgency. Fake ones create skepticism.
Reply with your best (or worst) deadline pressure story—
we might feature you (and send a mug).
