Bracketing is one of the simplest ways to keep your target from getting eaten by the first counteroffer. The ABN Framing lesson on Bracketing starts with a practical truth: your opening position should create room for the number or term you actually want.
If your target is $100 and the other side is likely to counter near $120, opening at $100 gives you little room to move. Opening around $80 can make $100 feel like the reasonable middle.
Start With The Target
Before you anchor, define the result that would make the deal worth it. That may be price, payment terms, freight, annual rebate, volume, or implementation support.
The target is not your dream outcome. It is the business result you can defend with math. If you cannot explain why that number matters, you are not ready to choose the bracket.
Make The Midpoint Work For You
Bracketing works because many negotiations drift toward a midpoint. If you open at your target, later movement tends to move you away from it. If you open with a bracket, you have room to concede while still landing near the result you planned.
For a seller, that might mean quoting above the price you expect to settle at. For a buyer, it may mean opening below the cost level that makes the deal attractive. The point is not to be dramatic. The point is to make the expected movement serve your target instead of damaging it.
Keep The Anchor Defensible
Bracketing fails when the opening position sounds random. Your anchor should be assertive and explainable: \”Based on the volume, service requirements, and margin profile, this is the level that makes sense for us.\”
That kind of language keeps the conversation commercial. You are not pretending the first number is the final answer. You are protecting the target and giving the other side a path to feel movement.
Practical takeaway: Set the target first, then choose an opening position that gives you room to land near it.
Want the framework behind this? Download the free 5 Laws of Negotiation ebook: 5laws.negotiationsacademy.com
