The Salami

Slice a large request into many small ones — each looks reasonable in isolation, but the cumulative effect is significant.

GeneralmoderatePressure

The salami technique is named for slicing requests thin: instead of one big ask ("knock $200K off the price"), make a series of small asks ("could you waive the deposit?", "could installation be included?", "could the warranty extend to year three?"). Each individual slice is small enough that refusing seems petty, but they accumulate into the same value as the original big ask — and counterparts often grant the full sequence whereas they''d have rejected the lump.

Example

You

"Could we move the deposit from 30% to 20%?" Yes.

You

"And could installation be included?" Yes.

You

"And could the warranty be 5 years instead of 3?" Yes.

You

"And shipping?" Yes.

Cumulative concession value

~$120K.

When to use

Use it when you face a counterpart who refuses substantive concessions but won''t fight on small items, in long-cycle deals where small items can be revisited, and to recover after a hard "no" on a big ask.

When NOT to use

Don''t over-slice — past 4–5 asks the pattern becomes obvious and the counterpart resists. Don''t use it on substantive items disguised as small ones; counterparts feel ambushed.

How to counter this

Bundle the slices into one big ask: "These four small things together equal $120K — let''s discuss whether we''d accept a $120K concession instead of four small ones." Refuses the slice-by-slice frame.

Related dimensions

Concession Architecture Tactical Awareness Closing

Practice drill

For your next negotiation, list five small concessions worth ~$10–25K each. Plan the order in which you'd ask for them.

Practise this technique

When to use, when NOT to use, how to counter, and a practice drill — free forever.

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