Make multiple equivalent simultaneous offers (MESOs)
Propose several package deals of equal value to you — see which the other side prefers.
Key takeaways
- What it is: Propose several package deals of equal value to you — see which the other side prefers.
- Why it works: When you offer multiple packages at once, the other party’s choice reveals which issues they value most — information you couldn’t get by asking directly. That signal lets you repackage the deal to give them more of what they care about in exchange for more of what you care about, creating joint gains that a single take-it-or-leave-it offer forecloses.
- Evidence: Backed by observational / correlational evidence.
- Avoid: Presenting packages that are genuinely not equivalent to you, which turns the MESO into an anchoring trick — the other side senses it and trust erodes.
Why it works
When you offer multiple packages at once, the other party’s choice reveals which issues they value most — information you couldn’t get by asking directly. That signal lets you repackage the deal to give them more of what they care about in exchange for more of what you care about, creating joint gains that a single take-it-or-leave-it offer forecloses.
How to do it
- 1Before the meeting, design two or three packages where each is equally acceptable to you but varies across the issues at stake.
- 2Present all packages at once: “I’d be happy with any of these — which comes closest for you?”
- 3Ask what they like and dislike about whichever option they gravitate toward.
- 4Use their response to craft a fourth option that prioritizes what they valued most.
What the evidence says
ObservationalLaboratory negotiation research by Leonardelli et al. and work cited by Malhotra & Bazerman show that MESOs produce better joint outcomes and are perceived as more cooperative than single-offer bargaining.
Honest caveat: Research is primarily from controlled lab exercises; field evidence is more limited and outcomes depend on the other side’s sophistication.
- — Leonardelli, Ristikari, Mishal & Galinsky (2019), Multiple equivalent simultaneous offers, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Common mistake
Presenting packages that are genuinely not equivalent to you, which turns the MESO into an anchoring trick — the other side senses it and trust erodes.
IX Coach helps you map your real trade-offs across the issues at stake so the packages you design are genuinely equivalent before you walk in.
Practice this with IX Coach →