Vocabulary — The Dealmaker’s Words

Eight words dealmakers actually use — none of them look like Italian. Hover or tap a card to see the meaning and an example, and press the speaker to hear it.

to hammer out

to reach an agreement after long, hard discussion

“It took three sessions to hammer out the final terms.”

to drive a hard bargain

to negotiate very firmly, giving away little

“Their procurement team drives a notoriously hard bargain.”

to meet someone halfway

to compromise by each side giving up part of its demands

“If you can move on volume, we’re prepared to meet you halfway on price.”

to sweeten the deal

to add something extra to make an offer more attractive

“They sweetened the deal with two years of free support.”

to throw in

to include something extra at no additional cost

“We’ll throw in the training days if you sign this quarter.”

to back out

to withdraw from an agreement before it is final

“The buyer backed out forty-eight hours before signature.”

to call someone’s bluff

to challenge someone to carry out a threat, believing they will not

“They threatened to switch suppliers, so we called their bluff.”

at stake

at risk; able to be won or lost in a situation

“With the renewal at stake, nobody wanted to blink first.”