No.7 – The Columbo – 47 Negotiation Tactics
The smartest negotiator in the room looks like they're still learning.. When ignorance isn’t weakness — it’s a tactic!
The Weekly Walkaway highlights negotiation in its ‘good’, ‘bad’ and sometimes ‘downright ugly’ forms. Issue No. 120 (24th October 2025)
Happy Friday Walkawayers..
I know, I know.. Its been a while since we last posted, and you’ve been waiting for the next tactic but I’ve been waiting for a friend, a master, and I needed a chance to sit down and buy him a coffee.. because he uses this one all of the time.. So thank you for your patience..
And behold - The Columbo!
You’d like him.. My mate.. (Lets call him Mark)
Mark works in procurement. He’s one of those calm, unshakable types who never raises his voice, never rushes and is always the cleverest person in the room.. On the other side he looks a little Mr Bean like and has that look, you know, like he’s about to ask where the toilet is. (Sorry Mark, but you do.. )
We play hockey together and he’s an outstanding striker!
He’s been doing corporate purchasing and procurement longer than most of the people across the table have been shaving, but you’d never know it.
He wears experience like Columbo wore his coat; creased, familiar, slightly too big, but utterly comfortable.. And that is how he makes people feel, and its a superpower!
Weaponised curiosity!
He walks into meetings with the big dogs, you know, the; Senior VP’s and Sales Directors, the type with GLOBAL and Multi-Million dollar highlighted on their LinkedIn profiles and Top 10 RPO and MSP tattooed across their PowerPoints and he plays The Columbo.
You might have met the type before. If not you’ll spot them now. They come across as a little unsure. A little behind. A little slow. A little;
“I’m sorry, just help me understand this bit again…”
And boy, do they love it.
He tells me they can’t help but lean in and start educating him. Their ego is triggered and they just cant stop themselves;
They explain models, pricing structures, rebate triggers, the mysterious “margin protection” clause they thought they’d hidden in the appendix.
Mark just nods, takes notes and asks more innocent questions.. and in such a way that makes ‘them’ feel that he;
doesn’t know or;
doesn’t understand.
“So if I’m hearing you right.. the cost is actually linked to the candidate volume forecast, not actual? Fascinating. How does that work if the demand dips mid-year?”
“blah.. blah.. blah..”
“Hmm.. I don’t understand, explain that bit again to me..”
Mark tells me that Senior Sales can’t help themselves. They start off a bit frustrated but due to his calm demeanor they just go straight into teaching mode.
And boy do they teach.. They talk. And Talk and talk.. They reveal more and more information and give him more and more power.
We’ve always said - never sell in a negotiation - and to remind you Walkawayersl that means never; explain, justify, argue.. you get the idea!!
The psychology is simple - when someone flatters your intelligence, you show off.
Mark starts off with simple, innocent open questions that become funneling questions that then become probing questions.
And with scalpel-sharp precision he slices straight through their proposals and presentations.
By the time they realise it, they’ve told him everything.
Everything they shouldn’t.
And that’s when the penny drops. The Sales Director suddenly realises the funny guy opposite, who seemed to be learning, was actually leading!
That’s The Columbo.
Disarm with curiosity;
Flatter with ignorance;
Let them hang themselves with their own expertise..
“Have you ever met The Columbo? Share your story. How did you manage it?”