The Fallacy of “At the Table” Negotiations
Article by Omid G
Last week I saw a LinkedIn article describing a so-called game-changing negotiation method: a sequence of offers, counteroffers, responses, and counter-responses between buyer and seller. It was even trademarked, as though it were a bold new invention.
In reality, I’ve been familiar with this approach since the early 1990s—and it’s been around for thousands of years. It’s simply the oldest form of bargaining: each party trying to get more of the pie in exchange for giving up less of what they have.
I call this “At the Table” Negotiations—and while it’s glorified in movies and TV shows, it’s outdated and dangerously incomplete.
Why “At the Table” Thinking Holds You Back
Read this twice:
Negotiations are won and lost long before you ever sit at the table.
If your strategy is built solely around back-and-forth exchanges during a meeting, you’re playing by 1950s rules. Back then, negotiation “success” meant extracting maximum value at the other party’s expense—a parasitic win that simply transfers value rather than creating it.
That mindset doesn’t work in today’s high-stakes, high-complexity environment.
The Modern Definition of Negotiation Success
True success begins before the meeting room. It starts with creating value—by understanding what keeps the other party up at night and finding ways to make them more successful without costing your side much.
That’s what you get paid for. And it’s not optional.
But value creation is just one piece. The other is bargaining power analysis.
The Bargaining Power Trap
If you enter negotiations without leverage, you’ve already lost—you’ve driven into the desert without fuel or water. The only way to avoid that is to analyze exactly what gives the other side their bargaining power—long before the first discussion.
That power could come from:
A perception of being the highest-quality provider
A monopolistic market position
High switching or startup costs
Strong end-user loyalty
Unique production capabilities
Exclusive access to critical materials
Once you’ve identified the source, you can begin shifting the balance in your favor. This might take months or even years, but you can lay the groundwork in plain sight—and your counterpart will notice.
The Overlooked Battlefield: Internal Negotiations
Most external negotiations fail because of internal misalignment. And no, simply agreeing on the SOW or specifications doesn’t count.
You need alignment on:
Procurement and negotiation strategy
Sourcing approach and timing
Standardization and alternative materials
Messaging to both external and internal stakeholders
Management buy-in and influencing strategy
Deal positioning and cost modeling
Vendor evaluation criteria
If you’re not doing this work in advance, no amount of table-side brilliance will save you.
The Bottom Line
If all you’re trained in is At the Table tactics, you’re stuck in outdated quicksand. The real work—the work that wins negotiations—happens before the conversation ever starts.
That’s why the CPSCM™ Certification Program—already adopted by half of the Fortune 100—goes far beyond table tactics. In just 32 days, a major announcement will make CPSCM™ attainable for everyone. If you want to be seen as a Negotiation Godfather, you’ll want to be ready.
Now go off and do something wonderful.
Be your best.
Omid G.
“The Godfather of Negotiation Planning” – Intel Corp