MOVE 23 · LEVERAGE & ALTERNATIVES · PRO
Estimate Their Alternative
Work out what the other side will do if they do not agree with you, because their options set the real limits of the deal.
You cannot price a deal well until you know what saying no would cost them.
Low riskVendor negotiationPricingOffer negotiationPartnershipNegotiate termsGet clarity
WHY IT WORKS
Negotiators often overestimate the other side's options and underprice themselves. Researching what replacing you would actually involve — cost, delay, risk, switching effort — usually reveals more room than fear suggests, and occasionally warns you that your ask is unrealistic.
WHEN TO USE IT
- You are setting a price or salary and unsure how far you can go.
- The counterpart claims they have many easy alternatives.
WHEN NOT TO USE IT
- Researching their alternatives would require confidential information you should not access.
- Terms are already agreed and the analysis would only fuel regret.
SIGNALS IT FITS
- They mention competitors frequently but vaguely.
- You have no idea what it would cost them to start again with someone else.
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Execution guidance is included with Pro.
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Included with Pro
ETHICAL BOUNDARY
Estimate from legitimate sources. Do not obtain competitor or counterpart confidential information through deception.
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Content version 1 · Drafted by Power Move IQ Editorial · Not yet human-reviewed · Educational decision support, not legal, financial or employment advice.