One negotiating technique you see used all the time is what I like to call the nibble. This occurs after you’ve shaken hands to close a deal, and just as you’re getting ready to sign the papers to make it official, the other side tries to get one last concession on the table.
Every time I see this happen, I can’t help thinking of the classic TV detective drama Columbo. Columbo, the detective, was a master of the nibble. He’d spend 10 minutes interviewing a subject, seemingly getting nowhere, and then, just as he put his hand on the doorknob to leave, he would turn around and say, “Just one more thing … “