|
Here are some common idioms that can be used to refer to negotiations: drive a
hard bargain = not concede much in a negotiation: "He drives a hard bargain.
You'd better make sure you're well prepared."
not take no for an answer = not give up even when you are refused something:
"She's a tenacious person. She won't take no for an answer."
hold all the aces = have more advantages or strong points than the other
party: "It's going to be difficult to negotiate on price with them. They hold
all the aces."
have an ace up your sleeve = have a strong negotiating chip in reserve: "What
they don't know is that we have an ace up our sleeve in terms of order
fulfilment."
to strike a deal = come to agreement: "We finally struck a deal late last
night."
a sticking point / a bone of contention = a point that is difficult to agree
on: "Unfortunately, salary increases are a sticking point with us."
to get bogged down in detail = become sidetracked by small details: "We
aren't getting anywhere at the moment. I suggest we move on to the bigger
picture so we don't get bogged down in detail."
play for time = use a delaying tactic: "They're just playing for time at the
moment."
play your cards right = use your strong points carefully: "If we play our
cards right we could get some good concessions."
sign on the dotted line = sign an agreement: "Well, we finally signed on the
dotted line."
|