Abstract
Suppose you open talks with an important customer by making an aggressive first offer. He becomes offended. You back off a bit; he responds by trying to take advantage. This back-and-forth negotiation process, which many liken to a dance, can leave you shuffling endlessly around the issues, while resentment builds on both sides. Fortunately, a versatile strategy exists that allows you to take the lead in the dance: multiple equivalent simultaneous offers, or MESOs. Presenting more than one offer at a time increases the other side's satisfaction as well as the odds that an agreement will be implemented. Research shows that negotiators who use MESOs achieve better outcomes than those who make a single packaged offer, without sacrificing relationships or losing credibility. Read about how and when to make MESOs and about their benefits.