"Threaten extreme action if the other side does not agree. Threat is implicit in every negotiation, whether it is expressed openly or not. There is always a possibility of deadlock and if talks fail both parties expect to lose something. Threats also create hostility and may have unexpected consequences. If you are going to use a threat, take the following precautions: 1-Threats have to be credible. The other party must believe that the threat will be carried out. If you threaten but fail to follow through, you lose credibility and authority. A threat is likely to be believed if the threatening party has made good on previous threats. 2-Threats need to be proportional to the problem at hand. If you want a small concession, don't make a big threat. 3-Before threatening, be sure you have the resources to follow through and make sure your organization is willing to back you in taking the necessary action. 4-Threats may win momentary concessions, but they leave a residue of anger. The threatened party may get revenge later. 5-Threats can break up long term partnerships or create distrust between parties that have spent years building a relationship. 6-Threats have a way of getting out of control and sometimes have have consequences that the person delivering the threat may not have intended."
