How do I make a concession in an English negotiation without giving too much away?
Suggest a point in the middle: "Let's meet halfway." Link your concession to something in return: "We could come down to €45 a unit, in return for a two-year contract." When you cannot go any further, say so clearly and politely: "I'm afraid that's as far as we can go." After "in return for", use a noun or an -ing form, not a that-clause.
- The three steps: suggest a middle point, trade the concession for something in return, draw the line.
- "In return for a longer contract" or "in return for signing", not "in return for that you sign".
- "We could …" and "We'd be willing to …" present an offer tentatively. State what you want in return with "in return for …" or an if-clause.
B2 · Negotiation · 10 minConcessions and compromise in English negotiations, taught brick by brick.
A structured ten-slide lesson for B2 learners. Hear a concession in context, learn the three steps from a tutor — suggest a middle point, trade the concession for something in return, draw the line — then practise them in the interactive drills before a final quiz. The whole arc is under ten minutes and nothing requires a signup.
- CEFR levelB2 · Upper intermediate
- Time to completeAbout 10 minutes
- SkillsSpeaking, Vocabulary, Listening, Business English
- Bricks10 blocks
01 / 06
What a concession is for in a negotiation
In almost every negotiation there comes a moment when both sides have stated their position and neither is moving. You asked for €50 a unit, the customer has offered €40, and the conversation is going round in circles. What is needed now is a concession: one side gives a little ground so that both can reach an agreement. An agreement in which both sides give some ground is called "a compromise". A good concession has two aims at once. It should move the conversation forward, and it should not cost you more than necessary. Here you practise a three-step pattern for doing that. Step one suggests a point in the middle, so that both sides can see where an agreement might lie. Step two links what you give to something you get for it, because a concession with nothing in return is usually a gift. Step three draws a clear line, so that the other side knows this is as far as you will go. In its shortest form, all three steps fit into a few seconds: "Let's meet halfway: we could come down to €45 a unit, in return for a two-year contract. That's as far as we can go." After that, the other side knows what you are offering, what you expect for it and that they should not hope for more.
02 / 06
Step 1: suggest a middle point
When two figures are on the table and neither side will move, a point in the middle is often the quickest way forward. The usual phrases are "Let's meet halfway", "Shall we meet in the middle?" and, when numbers are involved, "Why don't we split the difference?". "Split the difference" literally means dividing the gap between two figures: you asked for €50, the customer offered €40, so you meet at €45. Name the figure explicitly afterwards — "How about €45?" — so that the suggestion becomes concrete rather than a vague intention. A point in the middle is not automatically fair, though. If the other side started with an extreme figure, splitting the difference can still leave you with an unfavourable deal. So suggest the middle when the gap between the two positions is reasonable, not as a first reflex. The middle does not have to be about price, either. You can just as well meet in the middle on a delivery time, a contract term or a quantity: "You wanted delivery in four weeks and we said eight. Could we meet in the middle at six?" The principle stays the same: both sides move a little, and both can defend the result to their own team.
03 / 06
Step 2: trade the concession for something in return
A concession works best when it is tied to something in return. There are two ways to do this. The first is "in return for" or "in exchange for". Both behave like prepositions: they are followed by a noun — "We could come down to €45, in return for a two-year contract" — or by an -ing form: "We'd be willing to deliver earlier in exchange for receiving payment within 30 days." The second way is an if-clause, for when you need a full clause with a subject and a verb: "We could agree to that if you could pay within 30 days." The second "could" turns the condition into a polite request. You are not making a demand; you are proposing a trade. For the concession itself, "We could …", "We'd be willing to …" and "We'd be prepared to …" work well. They present the offer as a possibility, but do not by themselves ask for anything in return. Add "in return for …" or an if-clause to state the exchange. A plain "We accept a lower price", by contrast, gives ground without asking for anything, and it is hard to take back later. Combining both ways is also useful when you want more than one thing in return: "We could come down to €45, in return for a two-year contract, if you could also pay within 30 days." That way the other side knows exactly what they have to do for the concession.
04 / 06
Step 3: draw the line
At some point you need to show that you will not move any further. The clearest phrases for this are "That's as far as we can go", "We can't go any lower than €45" and "That's our final offer". They are short, and they should be: a limit hidden behind a lot of explanation sounds like an invitation to keep negotiating. Only use these sentences when you mean them, though. If you give way again after a "final offer", the next limit you set will be less believable — and the other side learns that pressure pays off. You can still stay polite. Soften the tone, not the limit: "I'm afraid that's as far as we can go" is friendly and leaves no doubt. You can also give a short reason, as long as it supports the limit rather than weakening it: "We can't go any lower than €45, because our material costs have gone up this year." It also helps to recall earlier concessions: "We've already come down by 10%." That shows the other side that you have already moved and that the limit does not come from stubbornness. If they hesitate, you can hand over with a question: "Would that work for you?"
05 / 06
The German traps: dafür, dass …, runtergehen, entgegenkommen
Three places where German gets in the way. First, "dafür, dass …": "Wir verlängern die Garantie dafür, dass Sie einen längeren Vertrag unterschreiben" tempts you into "in return for that you sign a longer contract". But "in return for" and "in exchange for" cannot be followed by a that-clause. Use a noun — "in return for a longer contract" — an -ing form — "in return for signing a longer contract" — or an if-clause: "if you sign a longer contract". Second, "mit dem Preis runtergehen": this easily becomes "We can go down with the price", which is not idiomatic in English. The usual choices are "We can bring the price down", "We can lower the price" or "We can come down on the price". With a figure, say "We can come down to €45" — or, in a more relaxed conversation, "We can go down to €45"; but then there is no "with the price". Third, "entgegenkommen": "Wir kommen Ihnen beim Preis entgegen" does not mean "We come towards you", because "come towards" describes movement through space in English. Say "We can meet you halfway on the price" or "We're willing to be flexible on the price". And when you mean "Zugeständnisse machen" in general, the phrase is "make concessions".
06 / 06
Giving ground slowly: getting the tone right
How you give ground often tells the other side more than the figure itself. If you give way in big steps and very quickly, it can suggest that there is still plenty of room left. Smaller steps that get smaller each time — first 5%, then 3%, then 1% — show instead that you are getting close to your limit. Say your concessions out loud, too. A short sentence like "We've already moved quite a long way on the price" reminds the other side that you have already given something. With figures, deadlines and conditions, be precise: "€45 a unit", "a two-year contract", "payment within 30 days". A vague "We could maybe do something on the price" only invites further demands. Watch the order within a sentence, too. Many negotiators state the condition first and the concession second — "If you could sign for two years, we could come down to €45" — so that it is clear the concession is not free. Others state the concession first so that it is heard first. Both work; what matters is that the concession and what you want in return come in the same breath. And a compromise need not be a defeat: when both sides have given something and got something, that can strengthen their willingness to stick to the agreement.