Negotiation Idioms

Coffee Negotiation: Cloze Test

Select the correct idiom for each context. The background will change colors based on your choice.

1. "We have a lot to discuss today, so let’s --Select-- ink the deal get down to business common ground hard-nosed meet halfway and look at the budget first."

2. "I know you want a 10% discount and I can only offer 2%. Can we --Select-- meet halfway sweeten the deal bone of contention ink the deal lay cards on the table at 6%?"

3. "The price of the machinery is the main --Select-- common ground get down to business bone of contention hard-nosed sweeten the deal ; we agree on everything else except the cost."

4. "The supplier was very --Select-- lay cards on the table ink the deal meet halfway hard-nosed get down to business ; he refused to lower the price even by one cent."

5. "To --Select-- sweeten the deal common ground bone of contention get down to business meet halfway , the salesman offered us a three-year extended warranty for free."

1. "We haven't made any progress in three days; I'm afraid we have --Select-- nailed down reached an impasse in the bag read between the lines given and taken and need a mediator."

2. "The management decided to --Select-- cave in close the deal go down to the wire back to the drawing board stumbling block to the union's demands for better health insurance."

3. "Successful bargaining always requires some --Select-- stumbling block in the bag reached an impasse give and take read between the lines from both sides of the table."

4. "Once we --Select-- cave in go down to the wire back to the drawing board nail down stumbling block the exact delivery dates, we will be ready to sign."

5. "After the client liked our presentation, the sales team felt the contract was --Select-- in the bag reached an impasse give and take read between the lines nailed down ."

1. "The contract talks --Select-- went down to the wire closed the deal nailed down read between the lines reached an impasse , finishing only minutes before the midnight deadline."

2. "Our proposal was completely rejected, so it's --Select-- in the bag back to the drawing board stumbling block give and take cave in to create a new strategy."

3. "The disagreement over the patent rights was a major --Select-- stumbling block reached an impasse inked the deal back to the drawing board read between the lines that delayed the merger for months."

4. "He didn't say he was unhappy, but if you --Select-- cave in nail down read between the lines go down to the wire close the deal , you can tell he is considering other offers."

5. "We finally shook hands and --Select-- closed the deal stumbling block given and taken back to the drawing board reached an impasse after six weeks of intense discussions."

1. "The legal team is working late to --Select-- draw up the contract cave in play hardball read between the lines get down to business so we can review the final version tomorrow morning."

2. "I’m not sure we can trust them; they always --Select-- sweeten the deal meet halfway play their cards close to their chest ink the deal nail down until the very last moment of the meeting."

3. "He is known to --Select-- back to the drawing board drive a hard bargain common ground stumbling block give and take , so don't expect him to agree to your first price offer."

4. "If we can't find --Select-- common ground reached an impasse in the bag hard-nosed sweeten the deal on the environmental clauses, the partnership will not move forward."

5. "Everything is ready; we just need the CEO to sign the papers and --Select-- ink the deal bone of contention go down to the wire lay cards on the table get down to business ."