Hi Reader,

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In this week’s Gentle Power episode (YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts), we break down the famous “line-cutting” study and show how tacking on a reason - any reason - boosts your odds of getting what you want, faster.

We also cover why you want to wait to negotiate until you receive the signable written offer letter, plus our step-by-step for timing your asks so you don’t burn leverage.

Speaking of timing, we’ve been working on a few daily habits to keep our own decision-making sharp:

Mindfulness & Gratitude Experiments

• One-Line Gratitude Journal: Gerta has logged at least one thing every day since January 1 (seven on really difficult days, such as grieving her uncle). Result: her brain now automatically finds the silver lining in any situation - even during sudden family emergencies.
• 10-Minute Guided Meditation: Alex found a meditation practice that sticks - Sam Harris’ Waking Up app - thanks to the science-explainer mini-lesson that comes after each session.
• The Great Phone Debate: Gerta muses how the entire world’s knowledge and everyone she loves is reachable inside that glowing rectangle and wonders why people are not even more addicted to their phones. Alex swears it’s the reason we can’t fall asleep until 2am. Watch the episode to see who caves first.
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Get Better Offers by Giving Companies a Reason Why

A famous Harvard study explored what makes people more likely to let someone cut in line.

The surprising finding?

Simply giving any reason—no matter how unrelated—significantly boosted willingness. E.g. saying something like “Hi, can I cut in front of you because I’m holding this apple?” can make people more likely to say yes.

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How this relates to job offer negotiations:

1. Deploy the Magic “Because.” But beware of giving personal reasons (“I need more money because of near-term family plans”) can backfire because companies don’t pay based on your personal life.
2. Stock Your Reason Bank. Before negotiations, jot down a few reasons why you’re a perfect fit for the role and a few reasons why you’re genuinely excited about the company. Keep them in your back pocket to share gradually as the conversation progresses.
3. Get it in Ink. You want to tactfully nudge them to send you the signable written offer letter. Start negotiations/make your asks only after receiving the written offer - early asks can leak leverage.

Tune into the episode for the full play-by-play:

​YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts​

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Warmly,

Gerta & Alex
​Co-founders, YourNegotiations.com
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