Negotiation Idioms
More Common Idioms
Play Hardball
To act in a tough, aggressive, and uncompromising way to get what you want.
"The landlord is playing hardball and refuses to fix the AC unless we sign a longer lease."
Lay one's cards on the table
To be completely honest and transparent about one's intentions or resources.
"I decided to lay my cards on the table and tell them exactly how much money we have left in the budget."
Sweeten the deal
To add a bonus or extra incentive to an offer to make it more attractive.
"The company offered to sweeten the deal by including a free company car for the new manager."
Drive a hard bargain
To be very skillful or demanding in a negotiation to ensure favorable terms.
"She drives a hard bargain, but we finally agreed on a price that works for both of us."
Reach an impasse
To get to a point where progress is impossible because of a disagreement.
"The talks reached an impasse when neither side could agree on the holiday schedule."
Cave in
To give up or surrender to the other side's demands.
"We were tired of arguing, so we finally caved in and accepted their original offer."
Give and take
The process of making mutual concessions to reach an agreement.
"In any healthy partnership, there has to be some give and take regarding daily responsibilities."
Nail down
To finalize or confirm the specific details or terms of an agreement.
"We need to nail down the exact start date before we announce the new project to the staff."
In the bag
To be certain that a deal or victory will be achieved.
"The presentation went so well that I’m sure the new contract is in the bag."
Go down to the wire
To continue negotiating until the very last possible minute or deadline.
"The budget talks usually go down to the wire, often finishing just before the fiscal year ends."
Back to the drawing board
To start over from the beginning because a previous plan or negotiation failed.
"The client rejected our design, so it’s back to the drawing board for the marketing team."
Stumbling block
A specific problem or issue that prevents progress in a negotiation.
"The high interest rate was the main stumbling block that prevented us from buying the house."
Read between the lines
To understand a meaning that isn't stated directly; finding the "hidden" message.
"He didn't say he was quitting, but if you read between the lines, he’s clearly unhappy here."
Close the deal
To successfully finalize a negotiation or sign a contract.
"We spent three months talking, but we were finally able to close the deal yesterday afternoon."