Apophenia is the tendency to see patterns of meaning in things.

When unchecked it can be a disorder, but in and of itself, it’s a handy mental tool for making sense of the world around us.

If you’re around long enough in any field of endeavor you recognize patterns emerge.

Like negotiating. Haggling over a price falls into predictable patterns, depending on what’s for sale.

The asking price, the counter offers, and the final deal all follow certain steps, like a dance routine.

When you understand that, it makes the process easier to navigate.

All of it, from asking price to counter offers, to final are inevitable.

After all, if you’re the seller, and the buyer accepts your asking price you’re left wondering if you should have charged more.

If you’re the buyer, and the seller takes your first counter-offer, you’re left wondering if you should have offered less.

Personally, the negotiations I’ve enjoyed most were the intensive ones.

Doing business with professional negotiators, lawyers, executives, other salespeople, is fun.

One deal I made years ago was with a guy who owned a construction company. He drove a hard bargain, and we were back and forth on price for nearly a week.

After he finally signed off, he said “You know, I would have paid a thousand dollars more.”

Unfazed, I deadpanned back “That’s okay, I would have taken a thousand dollars less.”

He wasn’t prepared for that. At first he was dumbstruck, and then he laughed and laughed. “I like you!” he roared.