Salami Tactics
Stop getting sliced to death. Learn how to identify and defend against Salami Tactics in complex negotiations.
What is it?
Salami Tactics occur when an opponent knows you would reject a massive demand if presented all at once. Instead, they slice the demand into tiny, seemingly insignificant requests, feeding them to you one at a time over a long period. Before you know it, you've given away the whole 'salami'.
How it works
Spot the pattern: Are they continuously coming back with 'just one more small thing'?
Refuse to negotiate issue-by-issue. Bundle everything together.
Call out the tactic: 'It feels like we are negotiating this deal one slice at a time.'
Draw a hard line: 'I will agree to this change, but we are closing the scope right now. No more additions.'
Real World Example
Scenario:
A freelance web design client keeps asking for 'one more tiny tweak' for free.
The site looks great! Could we just quickly add a custom animation to the logo? It shouldn't take long.
I'm glad you like it. This is the fourth 'quick addition' requested outside the original scope this week. If we want to expand the scope, let's pause and draw up a new contract for Phase 2.
When to use this strategy
Scope creep in freelance projects, endless contract revisions, and demanding clients.
Configure Scenario
Defend against an opponent who slices demands into tiny, continuous requests.
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