Ever felt boxed into a number at the start of a negotiation, and couldn’t escape it?
That’s anchoring bias in action.
Whether it’s a supplier tossing out a sky-high quote or a sales team opening with an ROI-packed pitch, anchors set early expectations that shape the entire conversation.
For procurement and sales professionals, recognizing and managing this cognitive shortcut is essential.
In this article, we’ll explore real-world anchoring bias examples from both sides of the negotiation table—and show how RED BEAR training equips teams to take control of the narrative and drive better outcomes.
Anchoring bias is the cognitive tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered—the “anchor”—when making decisions.
Once that anchor is set, all future judgments are unconsciously adjusted around it, even when it’s irrelevant or misleading.
In negotiation, this bias can quietly dictate price expectations, perceived value, and acceptable tradeoffs without either party realizing it.
In RED BEAR’s anchoring bias explainer, we explore how this phenomenon can shift the entire trajectory of a deal.
Anchors are powerful—so they must be planned, not accidental. Complex supplier networks, inflation pressures, and shifting stakeholder expectations all raise the stakes. A single misstep—like responding too quickly to an anchor—can erode value or damage relationships.
This is why RED BEAR emphasizes the strategic use of anchoring in its negotiation training programs. When used intentionally and backed by data, anchors can reshape perceptions of fairness, urgency, and value.
Procurement professionals must control spend, enforce compliance, and manage supplier performance. But when anchoring bias goes unchecked, these goals can unravel in subtle ways that compromise deal quality and long-term value.
A supplier submits an initial quote that seems high, but “reasonable.” The procurement team assumes it reflects current market conditions and begins negotiations from that point.
But here's the catch: the quote was intentionally inflated to anchor expectations.
This is especially common when buyers skip pre-negotiation benchmarking or fail to frame the conversation with their own comparative data.
RED BEAR tackles this challenge head-on by teaching teams how to Set High Aspirations and Anchor early with favorable data. In one module, teams analyze situations where suppliers exploit their informational power advantage. We teach people how to pre-emptively anchor negotiations using third-party benchmarks or internal cost modeling.
Another common trap: internal stakeholders insisting on “last year’s price” as a negotiating target, despite inflation, raw material volatility, or scope changes. This backward-looking anchor distorts the reality of what a fair deal looks like today.
Without re-framing this internal anchor, procurement negotiators face artificial constraints before they even speak to a supplier.
To constructively challenge internal anchors, consider:
These data points make the conversation more productive and nuanced.
If the supplier is the first to position what “value” looks like—whether it's reliability, speed, or a speciality performance metric like ESG compliance—then procurement must either play defense or work harder to reframe the conversation.
Without early anchoring around your organization’s priorities (e.g., TCO, innovation, or flexibility), the supplier’s frame becomes the dominant narrative.
RED BEAR teaches teams to use Framing and Positioning together—articulating a compelling theme for the negotiation, and supporting it with targeted anchors. This resets how value is perceived on both sides of the table.
For sales professionals, anchoring is a strategic lever that shapes how buyers perceive value.
A well-timed anchor, grounded in data and framed with confidence, can move a deal from price resistance to value alignment. We train sellers to do exactly that—set the bar early and control the frame.
Imagine a seller begins the conversation with: “Most of our clients see a 3:1 return within the first year.” This single statement reframes the upcoming price discussion.
Rather than asking, “Is this product too expensive?” the buyer starts thinking, “Can I afford not to invest if I could triple my return?” The price hasn’t changed, but its perceived value has.
That’s the power of anchoring with outcome data.
At RED BEAR, we train sellers to link outcomes to high aspirations—framing results first, then anchoring price afterward.
Skilled sellers don’t lead with numbers. They start with positioning. For example: “What we bring to your team is not just software—it’s 15 years of expertise in solving problems exactly like the one you’re facing.”
When the actual cost is revealed later, it lands in the context of framed value. Anchoring bias means the client’s mind is already aligned with a high baseline of worth.
For this to be successful, you’ll need to use anchoring and framing together.
Together, they influence how decision-makers interpret price, risk, and urgency.
As a note, anchoring is powerful but must be used with ethical integrity. We explicitly teach sellers to avoid manipulative anchors or misleading data.
Instead, teams are encouraged to prepare for tough questions, anticipate how anchors may land with different stakeholders, and back up every claim with evidence.
Anchoring bias is often invisible until it's too late—unless your team is trained to spot it, disrupt it, and redirect the negotiation. That’s why RED BEAR’s programs don’t just teach how to use anchors effectively—they show negotiators how to neutralize them when they appear from the other side of the table.
Preparation is the antidote to bias. Tools like the Negotiation Planner and Triple Play Framework help negotiators define three critical positions before any meeting: the target, the opening, and the walkaway.
By setting a high anchor of their own from the start, negotiators are less likely to be swayed by a supplier’s or client’s opening figure.
RED BEAR equips participants with behavioral strategies to resist being pulled into biased frames.
One key behavior: asking Stage 2 Questions—high-level, strategic questions that reveal the motivation behind the other party’s anchor. Instead of reacting to a number, RED BEAR-trained negotiators investigate its origin, uncover underlying needs, and reframe the discussion based on broader business value.
Rather than countering one anchor with another in a tug-of-war, RED BEAR teaches how to reposition the conversation entirely.
For example, negotiators learn how to reference independent cost data or business impact scenarios to reset expectations, without triggering defensiveness or positional resistance.
Anchoring skills are not built in a vacuum. RED BEAR supports long-term adoption through post-workshop coaching and follow-up exercises, ensuring that concepts like anchoring and framing become second nature in live deals, not just training simulations.
Anchoring bias is subtle—but its effects are significant.
Whether it’s an inflated first quote from a supplier, a sales pitch that sets expectations high, or an internal partner clinging to last year’s metrics, the initial reference point often becomes the lens through which every option is judged.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
With the right skills, tools, and mindset, procurement and sales professionals can flip the script. Anchors don’t just happen to you—they can be designed by you.
RED BEAR’s training programs help teams use anchors strategically, ask better questions, and frame negotiations around value, not just price.
From managing supplier expectations to aligning internal stakeholders, anchoring is more than a tactic—it’s a way to lead negotiations with intention and control.
Ready to negotiate with confidence—and stop getting anchored by old expectations?
Contact RED BEAR to learn how we can help your team master anchoring and framing strategies that drive real results.