🤝 20 Business Negotiation Idioms and Phrases
Hey there! 👋,
Have you ever been in a negotiation and heard phrases like “meet me halfway” or “sweeten the deal”, and thought,“What do these really mean?”
You’re definitely not alone. 😁
That’s exactly why I’ve put together this handy list of Business Negotiation Idioms and Phrases.
To help explain the idioms that my students ask about the most.
These business negotiation idioms and phrases come up all the time when you’re talking with:
- suppliers
- partners
- clients
- contracts and agreements
Once you understand them, conversations become easier to follow.
You’ll also start sounding more confident and more persuasive in negotiations.
Each idiom on this page includes:
- a simple explanation
- a real workplace example
- a quiz question so you can practise
- a link to a full idiom page
You can use this page to:
- go through the idioms at your own pace
- say them out loud to build confidence
- come back to this page anytime as a reference
You’re in the right place for learning. See you in the next lesson!
Teacher Rob 🙋♂️
💪 Tough Negotiation Tactics
1. 👉 Drive a Hard Bargain (v)
Meaning: Negotiate strongly to get the best deal.
Example: She drove a hard bargain to get a lower price.
2. 👉 Play Hard Ball (v)
Meaning: Negotiate in a very tough way.
Example: The company played hard ball to protect its interests.
3. 👉 Stand Your Ground (v)
Meaning: Refuse to change your position.
Example: She stood her ground during the contract talks.
4. 👉 Dig Your Heels In (v)
Meaning: Strongly refuse to change your opinion.
Example: He dug his heels in and would not accept the offer.
5. 👉 Play Your Cards Right (v)
Meaning: Act smartly to get a good result.
Example: If we play our cards right, we can win the deal.
✅ Quick Quiz
🧑💻 Strategy
6. 👉 Keep Your Cards Close to Your Chest (v)
Meaning: Keep plans or information secret.
Example: She kept her cards close to her chest during talks.
7. 👉 Have an Ace Up Your Sleeve (v)
Meaning: Have a hidden advantage.
Example: He had an ace up his sleeve for the final meeting.
8. 👉 Read Between the Lines (v)
Meaning: Understand hidden meaning.
Example: She read between the lines and saw the real issue.
9. 👉 Bring (something) to the Table (v)
Meaning: Offer skills or value.
Example: He brought strong experience to the table.
10. 👉 Leave No Stone Unturned (v)
Meaning: Try every possible option.
Example: We left no stone unturned to find a good partner.
✅ Quick Quiz
🗣️ Persuasion and Discussion
11. 👉 Talk Someone Into Something (v)
Meaning: Persuade someone to agree.
Example: She talked the client into signing the contract.
12. 👉 Talk Someone Out of Something (v)
Meaning: Persuade someone not to do something.
Example: He talked her out of making a risky deal.
13. 👉 Talk Something Over (v)
Meaning: Discuss carefully before deciding.
Example: Let’s talk the proposal over first.
14. 👉 See Both Sides of the Coin (v)
Meaning: Understand different views.
Example: Good negotiators see both sides of the coin.
15. 👉 Sleep on It (v)
Meaning: Decide later after thinking.
Example: I’ll sleep on it and reply tomorrow.
🤝 Agreement and Outcomes
16. 👉 Change Your Mind (v)
Meaning: Decide differently.
Example: She changed her mind after reviewing the details.
17. 👉 Win-Win Situation (n)
Meaning: A result that benefits everyone.
Example: The agreement was a win-win situation.
18. 👉 Find Common Ground (v)
Meaning: Discover shared interests.
Example: Both sides found common ground quickly.
19. 👉 Strike a Deal (v)
Meaning: Reach an agreement.
Example: They struck a deal after long talks.
20. 👉 No Strings Attached (adj)
Meaning: With no conditions.
Example: The offer came with no strings attached.
✅ Quick Quiz
Did you get 100%?
Conclusion
There you go –
A great set of business negotiation idioms and phrases you can start using right away!
I promise you’ll spot these in your next:
- deal talk
- client meeting
- contract discussion
And now you’ll know exactly what they mean (and how to drop them in yourself).
Which one surprised you the most?
My favourite is “play hardball”.
It really captures those tough moments!
Let me know your favourite in the comments below.
I always love hearing from you.
Ready for more?
Check out our other idiom guides for:
👉 Visit my A-Z idiom category page to see more.
Happy learning,
Teacher Rob 🙋♂️
Need help learning the idioms?
Check out my 👉 Best Way to Learn Idioms Quickly Page
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Business English Idioms List
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