The Negotiator’s Mindset at the Meat Counter
Picture this. It’s a few days before the holidays. The store is packed. People are moving with urgency, grabbing last-minute ingredients like time is running out, but not my friend. She walked in with a mission: create a charcuterie board worthy of a holiday spread.
She knew exactly what she wanted, specific meats with flavor and texture. The display didn’t show everything, but before she could guess, out came store employee.
“How can I help you?”
She explained what she needed, and he offered,
“I can bring out several meats from the back so you can choose.”
Perfect.
But here’s where the Negotiator’s Mindset™ appeared.
After looking at the limited options, she stayed calm, friendly, and confident. She glanced at his name tag, smiled and said:
“Ron, since I can’t see the full selection, is there any chance of a discount?”
Ron replied,
“Well, you could check another store, but their selection won’t be as good as ours.”
Most people would have left it there.
She simply smiled and said, “Ron, you do have a great selection. I’m just asking if there’s any flexibility given what I can’t see.”
She didn’t get the discount, but she did walk away with high-quality meats and cheeses the exact vision she had for her charcuterie board.
“Negotiation isn’t always about getting a discount — it’s about confidently asking for what you want.”
