Negotiating When There Is No Plan B

How can negotiators find leverage even when they appear to have no viable alternatives? The absence of a clear BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) doesn’t mean dealmakers are powerless; they can expand the concept of alternatives to include partial, temporary, and procedural options that can shift the negotiation dynamics. Creative approaches—such as identifying partial substitutes, looking for hidden strengths in your position, seeking tacit consent rather than explicit approval, reframing threats as warnings, and appealing to fairness—can help you gain leverage and achieve better outcomes, even when facing seemingly one-sided dependency or “take it or leave it” ultimatums.

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