How to Get the Best Deal: Techniques to Become a Master Negotiator

The most consequential moments in a negotiation often occur before anyone mentions numbers

When you enter that salary discussion, or high-stakes boardroom encounter, remember that success hinges less on grand strategy than on a constellation of seemingly minor choices. Behavioral experts have meticulously mapped the decisions that consistently tilt outcomes in your favor while preserving, and even strengthening, professional relationships.

Plan a Strong BATNA

A BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) is your backup plan if the current deal falls through, and it serves as the foundation of your negotiating power. A study found that having multiple alternatives in a negotiation can backfire, even though people believe it gives them more power. Instead of boosting performance, extra options distort how negotiators think, making strong offers feel average, narrowing the perceived bargaining zone, and leading to weaker first offers.

Another study found that negotiators who prepared a single, clearly defined BATNA and then led with the first offer made $3,800 more on average and secured markedly better final terms than peers juggling several fallbacks. In high-stakes negotiations, quality beats quantity.

Begin the Negotiation with a Handshake

A 2019 study found that a simple handshake at the start of a negotiation can significantly increase cooperation and improve deal outcomes. Negotiators who shook hands were more likely to:

Share information openly
Behave honestly
Engage in positive nonverbal behavior

…all of which helped them reach better joint agreements. The effect wasn’t just about physical touch; it was the psychological signal of cooperative intent that made the difference. Even knowing someone had shaken hands with a third party led others to expect more honesty and collaboration from them. Refusing to shake hands reduced trust and made people seem less cooperative.

Ask for their “Best Price” Early

Simply asking, “What is your best price?” significantly shifts the negotiation in the buyer’s favor. A 2023 study found that sellers who received this question made lower initial offers than they typically would have, anchoring the negotiation at a better starting point for the buyer. These lower first offers had a lasting effect, influencing the final deal and reducing the total concessions sellers were willing to make. The question didn’t damage relationships or satisfaction; it just worked.

Even though it’s a direct and potentially sensitive ask, it caught sellers off guard in a way that nudged them toward more buyer-friendly terms without overt pressure. When used early, this single question can quietly reshape the entire negotiation.

When You Have Less Power, Let Them Go First

A 2023 study found that when negotiators hold less power, they tend to anchor low and make first offers that are worse than what they would have received had they let the other side go first. These low-power negotiators also set less favorable reservation prices, shrinking the zone of possible agreement and pulling the final outcome further from their ideal.

Even when coached to focus on their target price, most still fell short of the outcomes they could have achieved by responding instead of initiating. Low-power candidates and employers consistently did better when they made the counteroffer. The study shows that when your leverage is weak, your smartest play is silence.

Don’t Act Too Polite

A 2019 study found that negotiators who used warm and friendly language consistently walked away with worse deals than those who adopted a tough and firm tone. Even when both groups made the exact same offers, warm negotiators received smaller concessions and paid higher prices. The reason? Warmth signaled lower power and greater dependence, subtly weakening their bargaining position.

Although friendliness prompted polite responses, it didn’t yield better economic outcomes, and warm negotiators didn’t feel any happier about the interaction. In fact, they were less satisfied with the deals they got.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

A 2022 study found that negotiators who asked more open-ended questions earned significantly higher than those who relied on closed-ended questions or statements. Although these types of questions made up less than 10% of the conversation, they produced nearly twice as much useful information.

“What” and “How” questions were especially effective, helping negotiators gather insights while preserving rapport. “Why” questions uncovered the most information but sometimes made counterparts defensive. Still, even when open-ended questions were used frequently (up to 35% of the time), they consistently improved results without harming relationships. In a field where words are currency, asking the right kind of question turns out to be one of the most valuable moves you can make.

Practice Strategic Silence

Taking deliberate pauses of at least three seconds during negotiation can improve your deals. A study found that these silent moments shift people out of reactive, zero-sum thinking and into a more reflective, problem-solving mindset, leading to smarter trades and more collaborative deals. Unlike tactics meant to intimidate, silence didn’t make the other side feel pressured or reduce their satisfaction. It simply gave both parties space to think more clearly.

The benefits of silence were stronger for high-status negotiators, who gained more from the mental reset than those with lower status. And when people were encouraged to pause rather than told to collaborate, deals improved more.

Use Your Emotions as a Tool

A study found that negotiators who displayed emotional inconsistency (switching between anger and more positive or disappointed expressions) elicited significantly more concessions than those who showed anger alone. The effect wasn’t driven by confusion or disbelief; people saw the emotional shifts as genuine, not comical or exaggerated. What changed was their sense of control.

When faced with unpredictable emotional signals, counterparts felt less certain about how the negotiation would unfold, which led them to give in more. Even experienced negotiators were affected.

Develop Your Behavior Analysis Skills

You can improve your ability to use behavioral techniques with training. Courses on behavior analysis, like Deception Detection: Interviewing and Getting to the Truth, can teach you how to read movements, decode verbal patterns, and pick up on the subtle shifts people make. The methods taught in the course aren’t just for negotiations; they will help you succeed in a variety of situations, from the dinner table to public speaking. It’s always important to know how to use your behavior to connect with people. Take this quiz to test your current ability and knowledge of how to build rapport and trust.