In B2B deal work, people often open at the number they actually want. That feels clean. It also leaves only one direction to move: away from the outcome they need. Bracketing fixes that problem by placing the opening ask far enough from the target that a normal trade sequence ends near the real commercial goal.
In the Academy of Business Negotiations Framing module, bracketing means your anchor is not your target. It is a deliberate starting point designed so the midpoint of the conversation works in your favor.
Work backward from the target
Start with the dollar outcome you need. Then ask where you must open so a reasonable counter and compromise land close to that number. If your target is 100 and the other side is likely to sit near 120, an opening near 80 creates a midpoint at your target. The math is simple. The discipline is doing it before the meeting, not inventing a number under pressure.
This also keeps you from treating a wish as a plan. A real target is grounded in cost structure, market comps, volume risk, and contribution dollars. Once that target is clear, the open becomes a calculated move instead of a hopeful one.
Make the anchor defensible
An ambitious open only works when it can be explained. Service burden, inventory exposure, payment timing, promotional support, or fulfillment complexity can all justify the start point. Experienced counterparts expect room to trade. What they reject is an arbitrary number with no commercial logic behind it.
Your job is to open with stretch and still sound serious. State the number. Give the business reason. Then invite the other side into problem-solving instead of defending pride in the first figure.
Protect the destination, trade the path
If you open at the real target, every concession worsens your position. If you open with bracket room, you can move while still protecting the economics that make the deal worth it. Rank what you can give. Move in measured steps. Translate every package back into absolute profit dollars so the final structure still hits the scoreboard.
Practical takeaway: Before the call, write your target, estimate their likely range, and set an opening number that brackets the midpoint near your target.
Want the framework behind this? Download the free 5 Laws of Negotiation ebook: 5laws.negotiationsacademy.com
