Hey Niepodam,

Couple years back, I was in Mexico City.

Walking through a local market, beautiful chaos everywhere.
Handmade goods. Fresh food. Tourists getting hustled.

I stop at a stall selling leather bags. Gorgeous stuff.

I ask, “How much for this one?”

Vendor looks me dead in the eye and says: “For you… 3,000 pesos.”

I hesitate.

He waits. Doesn’t flinch.

I try: “Would you do 2,000?”

He shrugs.

“Maybe. But tell me, how many bags like this have you seen today?”

Damn.

We go back and forth for a minute, but he’s calm. Confident.
Doesn’t defend his price. Doesn’t chase me.

He just lets the silence do the work.

Eventually, I paid 2,300 pesos.
More than I wanted… less than he asked.

But here’s the kicker:

He controlled the entire conversation without saying much at all.

And that’s what most sellers forget in negotiation:

Silence is a power move.

If you drop price the moment they flinch?
You lose leverage.

Here’s the move I coach now: