The two dialogs below show how to handle the dream chip tactic. A Taiwanese could find him or herself on either side of the sale, so I did it both ways, one as the buyer and one as the seller. In both cases, Bob is the American. In the first dialog, Jane tried to sell DVD players to Bob.

Bob: It's good to meet you, Jane. Is this your first visit to the States?

Jane: It's nice to meet you too, Bob. No, I've been here a few times in the past.

Bob: Oh, really, on business or pleasure?

Jane: Both.

Bob: Great, so you know your way around then.

But if there's anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, don't hesitate to ask.

Jane: Thank you, Bob, I will. That's very kind of you.

Bob: No problem. Now, shall we get down to business?

Jane: Please.

Bob: I think we can handle this pretty quickly.

We've studied the market pretty closely and I think we can make you a very attractive offer.

We're prepared to give you $12.42 per unit delivered to L.A. That's U.S. dollars of course.

Jane: That's a lot less than we were expecting.

It's not even close to what we were talking about over the phone.

Bob: I know, but there's nothing I can do, Jane.

My hands are tied. The Koreans are dumping tons of DVD players on the market, and we have to compete.

Jane: But still, if we take that price, my company won't even be able to pay for my trip here.

The discussion continued for another hour, but Bob never budged(改变意见), and showed no signs of weakening. When Jane was sure Bob was going to hang tough at $12.42, she played her trump card.

Jane: Bob, we've been here for over two hours and you paint a very bleak picture of business here in the U.S.

I guess you really are serious about your $12.42 offer.

Bob: I wish I could offer you more, Jane, but I just can't.

If pay more than that, they'll just sit in my warehouse.

Jane: We can't afford to sell for that, not if we want to stay in business, so I really don't see where there's anything to be gained by continuing this negotiation.

Let's say goodbye and part, friend.

Bob: Oh! Well, I don't think things are at a stand still.

Tell me what your bottom line is. What do you need to get per unit?

Jane: Well, we can shave a little off the price we discussed over the phone.