Bargaining Strategist Mugs

"I always ask for a pony for my birthday. I find it gives the most bargaining room."

"It's basic psychology! Tell your parents you want a motorcycle and they'll be happy to help you get a car!"

'I'll make my final decision on that promotion of yours, after this game.'

"Then we have an unspoken agreement?"

'You think I'm crazy; I think you're crazy...finally some common ground!'

'Try and be negative in a positive way.'

Tug of Negotiation and Conciliation.

'Pick a contract...any contract!'

Changing Minds

Do you want to win the game or my business?

"How soon will this be a remnant

'Make them a four billion dollar takeover offer, but don't cause a fuss.'

"May I remind you that we can always go with duck eggs."

'Miss Finch, find out what she does over there and offer her twice as much to do it over here.'

'Maybe you should reconsider those place cards, Ms Harris?' (Negotiation talks/Good Guys/Bad Guys)

"Let me get this, but keep in mind that you'll pay for it in other, more subtle ways later on."

"So do I take it that's a 'NO' to the pay rise?"

'It's too cheap, can I haggle you up?'

"These are excellent qualifications... so good that our largest competitor would gladly pay you twice as much."

"Finally we have something in common...mutual distrust."

'It's okay if don't want to give us control of your company. We're perfectly capable of living with incredible disappointment.'

"Dad, if you give me a fiver, I'll explain the Lisbon Treaty to you."

We pay the maximum minimum wage.

"Let's say an immediate $10.00 allowance increase plus an annual 8% cost of living raise and I'll call him off."

"Before we begin, we'd like to remind you that we're an employee owned company."

"Just to get the negotiations off on the right foot, I don't intent to concede anything."

"Before we start our wages negotiation talks, the lads would like to congratulate the chairman on his 83% salary increase."

"Your interest in the salary makes me wonder how 'self-motivated' you really are."

'What say we set aside all our petty grievances and just hate each other on general principles.'

"Fifty quid for a high visibility jacket? Why, that's day-glo robbery."

A successful meeting! Only one member left in a rage shouting obcenities.

"All this is mine now! I had my lawyers declare you incompetent!"

'My final offer.'

"You should hire me now, before my skills completely deteriorate."

"The union is objecting to our 'grotesquely inflated' wages, do you think they'd settle for 'outrageously inflated' instead?"