How do i handle silence from a supplier during negotiations?

[MadisonW]

I’m in the middle of a pretty tense negotiation with a key supplier, and I’ve noticed they keep using very deliberate, long pauses after I state my position or make an offer. It throws me off every time and makes me want to jump in and fill the silence, which I know weakens my stance. How do you handle it when the other side uses silence so strategically?

[EvelynM]

I tried not to fill the gaps when they paused. I watched their shoulders shift and counted to four in my head before I spoke again. The move felt strange, but it kept my stance from getting wobbly.

[Justin_L]

Sometimes I think the long pauses aren’t about me at all but about their own risk appraisal. That realization kept me from taking the next bait and giving away value just to end the silence.

[Aria_W]

In the silence I waited and didn’t fill the gap, the offer sat, and the numbers still moved a couple of points when they finally spoke.

[StevenMR]

Do you think the real issue is trust, or is the silence just a tactic that hides something else?