Mr. Brown: Mrs. Wang, would you give us an idea of the price you regard as workable?
Mrs. Wang: As I said before, your price is so high that we find it difficult to make a bid. We hope you will take the initiative and bridge the gap.
Mr. Brown: Just to comply, we're ready to reduce the price by 5 percent. I hope this concession of ours will get the ball rolling.
Mrs. Wang: So do we. Certainly it's a step forward on your side. But the gap is still too wide.
Mr. Brown: The ball is in your court, Mrs.Wang. What price would you suggest?
Mrs. Wang: To make your offer workable, I think you should take another step down as big as the one you've just taken.
Mr. Brown: That won't do. You see, our profit margin is very narrow. It simply can't stand such a big cut.
Mrs. Wang: I hate to disappoint you, Mr. Brown, but if that's the case, we have no alternative but to cover our requirements elsewhere. Do think it over, please. We sincerely hope our discussion will come to a successful conclusion.
Mr. Brown: Well, I'm not authorized to agree to such a big reduction. Would you mind waiting a day or two, until I get a reply from the home office?
Mrs. Wang: Not at all. Shall we meet again, say, on Friday morning?
Mr. Brown: Good. Friday morning at 9.
Mrs. Wang thinks Mr. Brown's price is so high. Mr. Brown agrees to offer a 5% reduction but Mrs. Wang asks for another same reduction. Mr. Brown will have to wait for a reply from the home office. He requests to meet with Mrs. Wang again.