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.
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RANGE
ANCHORING
Closer Tactic #64 • Deal Psychology
Most people anchor with single numbers.
Pros use ranges to control the conversation.
The Nugget
Range anchors are more persuasive than point anchors because they seem more reasonable while still biasing outcomes toward your preferred end.
When Satya Nadella was negotiating Microsoft's LinkedIn acquisition, reports suggest he used range anchoring: "We're thinking somewhere in the $180-200 per share range." This made $196 feel like a compromise rather than an aggressive offer.
Research shows people focus on the end of the range closest to their interests, but the entire range still anchors their expectations.
How to Deploy
• Use ranges where your preferred number is the "reasonable" end
• Make ranges narrow enough to control the outcome but wide enough to seem flexible
• Let them "negotiate you down" to your actual target within the range
Avoid ranges so wide they lose anchoring power or signal uncertainty.
Takeaway
Ranges make your anchor feel like a negotiation, not a demand.
Reply with your best range anchoring success—
we might feature you (and send a mug).
