When to use it
Use it when the other side has already named a figure and you expect some back-and-forth.
How to apply it
- Confirm your target figure using market evidence.
- Note the other side's offer or likely opening.
- Calculate a counter-offer that places your target near the midpoint between the two figures.
- Check that the counter is still defensible with evidence.
- Make concessions in shrinking steps so your target looks like the natural meeting point.
Tip: If asked for a range, give one whose bottom end is your target, because employers tend to hear only the lower figure.