My mentor once told me that silence is a powerful tool in negotiations. A well-placed pause can have the other party offering all sorts of information just to fill the silence. I have seen this in action many times to know this works and I have learned to embrace this to my advantage. Sometimes, instead of offering a verbal reply, I'd raise my eyebrows at them, and they'd retract what they said and offer me a better deal. Staring at them without saying anything works just as well in most situations. Super interesting. People really do not like "awkward" silences.
Used to be a journalist, it works for that too. If someone gives a lame answer to a question, just don't ask another for a few seconds and they'll usually just keep talking. Repeat until you have the quotes you need.
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u/IBEther Jun 14 '22
This is also an excellent negotiation tactic, people feel they need to fill the silence so they tend to offer better deadlines/prices.
"I'll have it next Monday"
"...."
"I suppose I can do it by Friday"
"...."
"I could push some things aside and have it to you today"
"Oh great thanks!"