Coaching practices for Multiple Equivalent Simultaneous Offers

Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Multiple Equivalent Simultaneous Offers, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.

Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?

• I can’t get a read on what the other side actually cares about most
• When we’re going back and forth on the price I just keep bumping my number up by the same chunk each time to keep things moving, and I can’t tell whether I’m signaling I’ve still got plenty of room to give.
• I’ve reached the number I can’t move past, but I don’t want them walking away feeling like they got nothing
• We’re completely deadlocked on the one number
• We’ve just shaken hands on something we both accepted, but I have this nagging sense the deal isn’t as good as it could be for either of us

Practices that may help

1. Make multiple equivalent simultaneous offers (MESOs)
   Propose several package deals of equal value to you — see which the other side prefers.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
2. Use the Ackerman bid sequence: 65%–85%–95%–100% of target
   Make four calculated offers that converge on your target with shrinking steps — each concession signals you are approaching your limit.
   The Ackerman Method, Made Practical
3. Accompany your final offer with a small non-monetary concession
   Adding a low-cost non-monetary item to your final offer signals genuine limit while giving the counterpart a win.
   The Ackerman Method, Made Practical
4. Expand the ZOPA by adding issues to the negotiation
   When you’re stuck on a single issue, adding more issues often creates room for trades that satisfy both sides.
   ZOPA: The Zone of Possible Agreement
5. Propose a post-settlement settlement to optimize an agreed deal
   After reaching a deal, offer to see if you can both do better — many agreements leave joint value on the table.
   ZOPA: The Zone of Possible Agreement
6. Use a post-settlement settlement to improve a deal after agreement
   Once you have a deal, offer to keep exploring whether a better one exists for both sides.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
7. Invent options for mutual gain before selecting
   Generate multiple creative options without commitment before evaluating any — the solution space is usually larger than the initial positions suggest.
   Principled Negotiation, Made Practical
8. Maintain empathy and calibrated questions throughout the Ackerman process
   The bidding system only works inside a relationship — empathy and understanding keep the counterpart engaged rather than walking away.
   The Ackerman Method, Made Practical
9. Probe for interests, not positions
   Ask why the other side wants what they say they want before responding to what they say.
   Expanding the Pie: Negotiation Beyond Splitting the Difference
10. Define what success looks like together, before proposing solutions
    Agree on the criteria a good solution must meet before either side proposes anything.
    The Third Alternative, Made Practical

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