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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THE CREDIBLE
EXIT
Closer Tactic #106 • Power Dynamics
The best leverage is the willingness to walk.
But only if they believe you.
The Nugget
Demonstrating a credible alternative (BATNA) gives you walk-away power that forces better terms.
When Disney was negotiating to renew its deal with Comcast for cable distribution in 2013, CEO Bob Iger publicly announced Disney was exploring direct-to-consumer streaming. This wasn't a bluff—Disney had already begun building the technology that would become Disney+. Comcast knew Disney could credibly walk away from traditional cable deals, which gave Iger massive leverage. The result: Comcast agreed to significantly higher carriage fees. Six years later, Disney+ launched and proved the exit threat was real all along.
How to Deploy
• Build a real alternative before entering negotiations
• Signal your BATNA subtly but clearly—don't threaten, demonstrate
• Be willing to actually walk if terms don't meet your threshold
⚠️ Avoid: Bluffing about alternatives you don't have—it destroys trust and credibility.
Takeaway
Options create power. No options, no leverage.
Reply with a time you walked away and won—
we might feature you (and send swag).
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