Anchoring is the negotiation tactic of naming the first number so every subsequent offer is measured against it. Because people compare against whatever they heard first, the anchor shapes the whole conversation. Anchoring is powerful in sales when the first number is a price justified by value — it lets you start from strength instead of discounting downward. It works in both directions: the buyer's "we only have fifty thousand" is an anchor too.
In plain English
Whoever speaks first sets the table. If you quote a confident price tied to the value you deliver, the counteroffer is likely to land near it. If you wait and let the buyer name a number, you are reacting to theirs. Anchor deliberately, not accidentally.
Why it matters to you
Negotiation is where earned value becomes real money. Reps who anchor with confidence make fewer concessions and protect their walk-away price. Practice opening with the price, not apologizing for it, and letting a silence do the work. Anchoring is a skill you can rehearse in every negotiation until it feels natural.