Questions That Change the Deal

You’re viewing a used car you’d need for a 60-mile round trip to work every day. The seller knows the clutch has started to slip on hills. You know you need this car to last. Each of you holds a fact the other would pay for: hers would lower the price, and yours would tell her you’re keen.

That’s normal. Nearly every deal starts with each side knowing things the other doesn’t. A question works like a torch in a dark room: you see only what you point it at, so where you point it matters. It’s also the cheapest move in negotiation. It costs nothing, and the answer can change what the deal is worth to you.