商業英文：談判 / Push-back

PM 工作 70% 是談判——跟 eng 談 scope、跟 sales 談 deadline、跟 boss 談 priority、跟客戶談 feature、跟未來公司談 salary。 這份是把談判心法 + 英文句型一次整理。

談判心法：你必須先懂的三個概念

1. BATNA（Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement）

白話：「如果這次談不成，我的最佳替代方案是什麼」。

• 找新工作：BATNA = 現在的工作 + 其他 offer
• 跟 eng 談 deadline：BATNA = 砍 scope / 加人 / 推遲
• 跟客戶談 contract：BATNA = 不簽，找下一個客戶

核心原則：BATNA 越強，你談判力越強。談判前先把 BATNA 清楚。

2. ZOPA（Zone of Possible Agreement）

白話：「雙方都能接受的範圍」。

你要 $200k --------|--------$170k--------|-------- 對方願給 $180k
                  你的底線              對方上限
                  ^^^^^^^^^ ZOPA = $170k–$180k ^^^^^^^^^

如果沒 ZOPA，就不該繼續談判——直接 walk away 或重新 frame 問題。

3. Anchoring（錨定）

白話：先報價的人設定討論起點。

• 對方先報 $150k → 你 counter $180k → 落點 $165k
• 你先報 $200k → 對方 counter $170k → 落點 $185k

規則：

• 你 BATNA 強 → 主動 anchor（高報價）
• 你 BATNA 弱 → 反問對方先報（避免 anchor 被人下）

Push Back on Scope（PM 最常用）

「這個 feature 做不完」是 PM 每週必演。

結構

Acknowledge value → Show data → Propose alternative → Open Q

對 Sales / 客戶

Totally see the value here — and I know [customer] has been asking. Two challenges before we commit:

1. Eng cost: 8 weeks, which means we slip [other commitment]
2. Validation: only [N] customers have asked. Want to make sure we're solving for many, not one.

What if we scope a v1 — [smaller version] in 3 weeks. That gets [customer] 70% of the value. Full version in v2 if signal is strong.

What does [customer] really need this for?

對 CEO / 上層

Hear you on the urgency. Two things to flag:

1. To ship by [date], we'd need to drop [feature B] — which the [other team] is counting on
2. The eng team flagged [technical risk] that adds uncertainty

My recommendation: ship a thin slice by [date] to validate, then expand. Open to your call — what's the priority order: scope, timeline, or quality?

對 Eng（Eng 想塞 scope 進來）

Love the direction. One push back: this expands the original PRD by ~30%. Three options:

1. Stick to v1 scope — your idea goes to v2
2. Cut feature X to make room
3. Push the deadline by 2 weeks

Which trade-off feels right? I'm leaning option 1 because [reason] but want your read.

Push Back on Deadline

對外部（客戶 / sales）

Tight but doable. To hit [date], we'd need to:

• Skip [security review / load testing / X]
• Add 2 contractors at [$cost]
• Cut features Y and Z

Alternative: ship by [later date] with full scope and quality. Your call — which trade-off does [customer] care about more?

對內部（manager / team）

Honest read: [date] is at risk because [specific reason — e.g., dependency on team X is 2 weeks late].

Three options:

1. Slip by 2 weeks — full scope, full quality
2. Hit date with reduced scope — drop [feature]
3. Hit date with quality risk — skip load testing, accept on-call burden

What's your call?

核心原則：永遠給選項，不要只報壞消息。沒選項 = 把球丟給對方 = 顯得無能。

Push Back on Priority

PM 最痛苦：boss 一直加新需求，你想保護現有 roadmap。

標準句型

Got it — adding [new thing] to the queue. One question to make sure I prioritize right:

Current top 3:

1. [Project A] — committed to [stakeholder]
2. [Project B] — Q2 OKR
3. [Project C] — customer commitment

Where does [new thing] slot in? And which of the above slips?

Happy to make the call myself if you want — just want to confirm before I move things.

心法：Force the trade-off——不接受「全部都做」的答案。

進階版（已被加 5 次新需求）

Quick observation — we've added [N] new asks this quarter. Eng velocity is fixed: every new ask pushes something else.

Two options:

1. I bring up the trade-offs each time and we co-decide
2. You give me a clear priority framework and I execute

What works for you?

拒絕需求（不傷感情版）

客戶要求 feature

❌ 直接拒絕

Sorry, we don't support that.

✅ Soft no with empathy

Really appreciate you sharing this — it's a real pain point. Honest answer: we won't be able to build this in the next 6 months because [reason — e.g., it conflicts with our core architecture / we're focused on X].

In the meantime, here are 2 workarounds others use:

1. [Workaround A]
2. [Workaround B]

If this is a deal-breaker, let's chat — I want to understand what's at stake.

Sales 想送 freebie

I get the urgency — closing [deal] matters. One concern: if we customize for [customer], we set a precedent. Three other accounts will ask for the same.

Alternative: instead of custom build, can we offer [discount / extended trial / dedicated support] as the closing nudge?

Eng 想跳過 process

Hear you — process feels like overhead. My read: skipping [step] this time saves [X hours], but the cost shows up later as [risk].

Compromise: do a lightweight version of [step] — 30 min instead of 2 hours.

Salary Negotiation（最重要的人生談判）

拿到 offer 後

❌ 學校式：

Thank you so much! I accept!（永遠不要——你即使滿意也要 negotiate）

✅ 標準回應：

Thanks for the offer — really excited about the team and the role.

Before I commit, three questions:

1. Is the base flexible? Based on [reason — competing offer / market data / scope of role], I was hoping for closer to [10–20% above offer].
2. What's the equity refresh cadence?
3. Is sign-on bonus negotiable?

When do you need a decision?

對方說 no flexibility

Understand the constraints. Three follow-ups:

1. Can we revisit base in 6 months instead of 12?
2. Can the equity be front-loaded — more in year 1?
3. Is there flexibility on title — [Senior PM] instead of [PM]?

對方問你期望

❌ 報具體數字（你會吃虧）：

I want $180k.

✅ 推回：

Happy to discuss numbers. What's the range for this role?

如果對方堅持：

Based on my research and current comp, I'm targeting [X–Y]. But I'm flexible — what matters most is [growth / scope / team fit / equity upside]. What's the budget for this role?

Counter offer（已有 offer 跟現公司談）

[Manager], wanted to be transparent — I have an offer at [other company] for [scope of role + comp]. I'd prefer to stay, but I need [adjustment] to make it work.

Is there flexibility?

禁區：

• ❌ 用 offer 威脅 ≠ 表達真實 BATNA
• ❌ 比 offer 多人會反感，越冷靜越強
• ❌ 報假 offer 數字（圈子很小，會被抓）

Vendor / Partner Negotiation

砍價

Really like what you've shown. Honest read: the price is 30% above what we budgeted.

Two paths:

1. Match [competitor] at $X — we sign this week
2. Stay at your price but unlock [something — extended trial / additional seats / joint case study]

Which works on your end?

推 deadline

[Vendor], we're committed to working together. One ask: can we push the renewal decision by 30 days? We're in the middle of [internal process] and want to make sure we structure the contract right.

拒絕 vendor

Thanks for the time — really appreciate the depth of your pitch. Honest answer: we're going with [competitor] because [specific reason — feature, price, team]. Happy to revisit in [12 months] if priorities shift.

Pro tip：永遠告訴 vendor 真實理由——他們改善後可能下次中標。

心法：談判 7 個原則

1. 永遠給選項，不要只報壞消息

「我們做不完」 → ❌ 拒絕，沒下文 「做不完，三個選項：A / B / C」 → ✅ 把決策權交回去

2. 先聽再講

對方先講 = 你拿到 anchor + intel 句型：What's most important to you here? / Help me understand your priorities.

3. 永遠重述

Just to make sure I'm hearing you right — you're saying [restate]. Is that right?

4. 沉默是武器

對方報價後 → 不要立刻回應，停 5 秒 → 對方常會自動 sweeten

5. 拆解 package

Salary 不是只有 base — 還有 equity / sign-on / RSU refresh / title / scope / start date / vacation Vendor contract 不是只有 price — 還有 term length / SLA / payment terms / out clause

6. 永遠 BATNA

No BATNA = 你只能 take it or leave it = 對方知道就會 squeeze 你

7. 不要 burn bridge

拒絕也要禮貌——這個人 5 年後可能是你 boss / 客戶 / vendor / 同事

危險句型（會讓對方關機）

中式英文陷阱（談判專用）

Cheat Sheet（一頁回顧）

面試會考的談判題

1. 「Tell me about a tough negotiation you led.」 → STAR + 強調 BATNA + alternative + 結尾 lesson
2. 「How do you push back on a CEO who wants something unrealistic?」 → 給 3 選項 + 強調你不是擋路、是讓 CEO 看到 trade-off
3. 「A customer threatens to churn unless you build X. What do you do?」 → Empathize → understand JTBD → workaround → if must build, force scope decision

一頁速記：5 個必背 negotiation moves

1. ANCHOR FIRST           → 你 BATNA 強就先報價
2. RESTATE BEFORE COUNTER → "Just to make sure — you're saying..."
3. SILENCE                → 對方報價後停 5 秒
4. UNBUNDLE THE PACKAGE   → "What about [other dimension]?"
5. WALK-AWAY READY        → 永遠記得 BATNA，不要把雞蛋放一籃

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