When someone agrees immediately to a proposal of mine, I always think "Damn! I missed something important. I didn't do my homeworks correctly!". Beth agreeing with no hesitation means Jack could possibly get more. That's why I agree with Nicole Davidson's comment: there's no need to rush to make a deal.
This is not a post to judge Jack's behavior. I just want to tell that with the information I know, I'd move differently. Maybe Jack knows something not explicitated in the story (as an example, he could know the asking price is absolutely out of market) that makes perfectly reasonable for him to make that offer.
I know what you mean about that kind of regret when somebody snaps up your proposal, (though the reality is that you've gotten what you wanted).
But I think this is a different kind of case. In essence, Jack gave an ultimatum, forcing Beth to make a choice then and there. If he had protracted the negotiation, and given Beth some time to reflect, she might have concluded that Jack's threat to bad-mouth her really wouldn't do much damage to her business.
Also, it occurs to me that when bargaining power is wielded, context matters. This was in-person. Jack could hold up us hand like a cop and do the "stare-down" routine. I wonder if he--or anyone else--could have pulled this off if the conversation were on the phone or via text.
When someone agrees immediately to a proposal of mine, I always think "Damn! I missed something important. I didn't do my homeworks correctly!". Beth agreeing with no hesitation means Jack could possibly get more. That's why I agree with Nicole Davidson's comment: there's no need to rush to make a deal.
This is not a post to judge Jack's behavior. I just want to tell that with the information I know, I'd move differently. Maybe Jack knows something not explicitated in the story (as an example, he could know the asking price is absolutely out of market) that makes perfectly reasonable for him to make that offer.
Hi Sergio,
Thanks for your comment!
I know what you mean about that kind of regret when somebody snaps up your proposal, (though the reality is that you've gotten what you wanted).
But I think this is a different kind of case. In essence, Jack gave an ultimatum, forcing Beth to make a choice then and there. If he had protracted the negotiation, and given Beth some time to reflect, she might have concluded that Jack's threat to bad-mouth her really wouldn't do much damage to her business.
Also, it occurs to me that when bargaining power is wielded, context matters. This was in-person. Jack could hold up us hand like a cop and do the "stare-down" routine. I wonder if he--or anyone else--could have pulled this off if the conversation were on the phone or via text.
Mike