The hallway budget-is-fixed moment
Respond to a casual budget-is-fixed statement without surrendering the target package.
Client-site hallway. The budget objection arrives before the real meeting. Priya's manager says, "Budget is fixed, so let's not make this awkward." What should Priya say next? Acknowledge the constraint, restate the market-backed target package, and ask for a scheduled discussion on flexible components. Right. This keeps the anchor alive without fighting in the hallway. It uses market data, protects BATNA discipline, and tests what "fixed" actually means. Accept the budget statement so the relationship stays comfortable. Too soft. Relationship care matters, but accepting the hallway frame lets the manager's fixed-budget anchor replace Priya's market-backed target. Reply that she has…
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