Should you meet in the middle?
Splitting the gap ends a deal in a minute. It also hands the win to whoever opened greediest.
Split the difference
Split it and close.
Stuck at ₹40,000 against ₹48,000? Meet at ₹44,000. Both give a little, nobody loses face, and the deal is done in a minute.
- Right when
- When both sides opened at honest numbers and the gap is small. Meeting halfway saves time, keeps things friendly and lets nobody lose face.
- For example
- You’re selling your old scooter. Similar ones sell for ₹40,000 to ₹48,000 online. You ask ₹48,000, the buyer offers ₹40,000, and both of you know the range. Meet at ₹44,000 and the deal is done in a minute, not after three more visits.
- Wrong when
- When one side opened far away on purpose, so the middle lands on their side.
Don’t split the difference
Find out why first.
Meeting halfway rewards whoever opened furthest away. Ask why each side wants its number instead. There’s often a deal where both get more.
- Right when
- When the gap comes from wanting different things, or one side opened at an extreme number. Asking why can find a deal where both get more than the middle.
- For example
- A designer quotes ₹50,000 for a new sweet shop’s logo and boxes. The owner offers ₹20,000. Split it, and at ₹35,000 she’s underpaid and he’s over budget. She asks why. He has ₹20,000 until the shop opens. She takes ₹20,000 now and ₹30,000 three months later: her full fee, and nothing he can’t pay this month.
- Wrong when
- When there’s only one number on the table and nothing to trade, so asking why just drags the talk out.
What decides it
Did both sides start from a fair number?
If both openings were honest and close to the market, split the gap and move on: the time you save is worth more than the last few rupees. If one side opened far out, the middle is their win, not a compromise. Don’t split it. Ask why each side wants its number, and look for a trade before you look for the middle.
Was this useful?