We have all run into professional “chiselers” . . . experts at asking for ever more service for the same price. It’s actually a highly refined technique taught in most negotiating courses.
“Chiselers” thrive on weakness. If they sense any weakness in your position, they will exploit it.
Conversely, if you are delivering good service at a fair price, or remain certain about your value proposition, they will usually back off when they do not smell fear.
Often, a good antidote against chiseling is to quietly restate your case, then “be quiet.” The silence is awkward, but it works in your favor because the “chiseler” has no feedback to exploit.
Seller: “And so our fee is aligned well with our earlier discussion and scope of work.”
Buyer: “I’m just asking for five more units . . . it’s not a big deal.”
Seller: Silence (Despite the impulse to keep explaining, which shows weakness).
Buyer: “Well . . . what do you say?” (Buyer has now blinked first . . . your hand is strengthened).
The pregnant pause is a powerful weapon because it puts pressure back on the buyer to make his case for chiseling, which is probably weak anyway, and takes the pressure off you momentarily, to defend, which looks weak.
Chiseling is a game of pressure timing . . . have the patience and discipline to face it down.
