Anchor the conversation on criteria first

Set the standard the number should follow before any figure is named.

Why it works

If you establish which criteria are fair before numbers appear, you anchor the framework rather than a single figure — and a framework you both agreed to is harder to dismiss than a raw number. The number then follows from the standard, giving your anchor principled cover.

How to do it

1. Open by proposing the criteria that should govern the deal (market rate, cost-plus, precedent).
2. Get agreement on the standard before anyone names a figure.
3. Derive your anchor from the agreed standard so it inherits its legitimacy.

Evidence

Combines anchoring research with the principled-negotiation idea of objective criteria; anchoring on a shared standard is a well-reasoned synthesis of both. (mechanistic)

This is a reasoned combination of anchoring and fairness research rather than a single tested effect.

Common mistake

Jumping straight to a number, so the negotiation becomes a fight over figures with no agreed standard to anchor them.