In the Defensive Negotiating module, The Reverse is a simple move with a specific job. When a counterpart asks a direct question you are not ready to answer, or a direct answer would weaken your position, you answer with a question of your own. You stay in the conversation without handing over a number, a date, or a concession you have not thought through.
Send the question back
A question like “What is your best number on this?” is often an attempt to get you to anchor first. If you answer, you reveal your position before you know what they can actually do. The Reverse sends the work back to them. “What would work for your budget?” does that without a speech. The same pattern fits a percentage ask or a timeline. “Can you do 15 percent?” becomes “What would 15 percent do for your business?” “Can you hit that date?” becomes “What is driving the timing?” You gain a moment to think, and you collect information you did not have when the question landed.
Hold the position without a fight
Direct pushback can raise the temperature. “That will not work” invites a counterargument. A targeted question does not have to. “How are you planning to justify that to your team?” keeps the issue on the table and asks them to explain the constraint. You are trying to understand the limit behind the ask, not stall for its own sake. If the follow-up sounds like a dodge, they will treat it as one. If it is specific and reasonable, it reads as diligence.
Listen, then put the move away
The useful part shows up after they answer. When they explain the budget, the percentage, or the date, listen for the real limit. That is often where a trade becomes possible: volume, timing, placement, or a narrower scope instead of a blunt concession. Then stop running the move. If too many replies are another question, you sound evasive. Use The Reverse when a direct answer would anchor you too early or lock you into a position you still want to hold.
The practical takeaway: Before the next call, write two reverse questions for the asks you expect, and use one only when a direct answer would cost you information.
Want more like this? Join the Insiders Club: https://insiders.negotiationsacademy.com
