Them: “Your price is too high.” You: “Too high?” (mirror) Them: “Well, we have budget constraints.” You: “It sounds like budget is the real driver here.”
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Tactical empathy—popularized by Chris Voss—uses mirrors (repeating last 1–3 words) and labels (“It sounds like…”, “It seems like…”). This defuses emotion and uncovers truth. Them: “Your price is too high
If you want $80k salary, anchor at $88–92k with market data to support it. Them: “Your price is too high
