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230
Origin : Classical rhetoric

📜 Classical rhetoric

Oratory & argumentation

Aristotle ("Rhetoric"), Quintilian; C. Perelman & L. Olbrechts-Tyteca, "The New Rhetoric", 1958; A. Schopenhauer, "The Art of Being Right".

Full detail in the “Origin & history” section below.

230

The Rhetorical Concession (concessio)

Rhetoric & verbal sparring Technique 230 / 360
Alexandre Baumberger

Author of the library

Alexandre Baumberger

Negotiation lecturer at KEDGE Business School

A rare threefold background serving negotiation: teaching, commercial justice and audit, backed by experience as a company director in Bordeaux.

  • Teaching, KEDGE Business School Negotiation lecturer since 2014 (12 years).
  • Commercial justice, Commercial Court Judge from 2018 to 2026: litigation, then insolvency proceedings.
  • Audit & advisory, over 20 years Tax, employment and financial audit in major firms, for large groups.
Full profile Contact him
In brief

The rhetorical concession consists in granting the opponent a point, real or apparent, the better to strengthen one's own thesis immediately afterwards. In negotiation, it disarms contradiction (“you are right on that point, but…”) by giving the other party the feeling of being heard, while regaining the initiative through the rejoinder that follows and that alone carries the real message.

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Reading level

At a glance

Its family profile at a glance

Effectiveness Psychologicalimpact Discretion Preparation Relationalrisk Ethics
6.3 / 10 Tactical potential

Vigilance: moderate (4.5/10) · Preparation required: 5/10

Grounding in the source school Documented school

Indicative profile: it situates the “Rhetoric & verbal sparring” family as the Classical rhetoric school practises it, not this technique taken in isolation. Techniques from the same family and school therefore share the same profile. NEGOCOACH editorial rating out of 10, non-experimental · the higher the “relational risk” value, the more costly the technique is to the relationship.

NEGOCOACH assessment

How to read this rating

Tactical potential 6.3/10 (effectiveness, impact, discretion) and vigilance moderate (relational and ethical risk): two distinct readings, deliberately never merged into a single score that would reward risk. NEGOCOACH editorial rating calibrated from the “Rhetoric & verbal sparring” family and the “Classical rhetoric” school. Each criterion is rated out of 10; click to understand what it measures.

  • Effectiveness 7/10 · High

    How far the technique can carry the negotiation in the intended direction when it is well executed.

  • Psychological impact 6/10 · High

    Strength of the effect produced on the counterpart's perceptions, emotions and decisions.

  • Discretion 6/10 · High

    How hard it is for the other party to notice the technique is being used. A high value = very discreet.

  • Preparation 5/10 · Moderate

    The information, analysis and rehearsal required upfront to use it effectively.

  • Relational risk 3/10 · Low

    Potential cost to the relationship and to trust if the technique is spotted, refused or fails. A high value = riskier.

  • Ethics 5/10 · Moderate

    Moral acceptability: fairness, transparency and respect for the counterpart's autonomy. A high value = more defensible.

Level of evidence

Documented school

The school this technique stems from is documented by recognised work and established practice, without experimental consensus. This indicator qualifies the school, not this technique taken in isolation.

Indicative NEGOCOACH editorial rating, for teaching purposes. For “Relational risk”, a high value signals a cost to the relationship, not a quality.

Summary of the Rhetorical Concession (concessio)

Origin & history

The concessio is an argumentative figure of Roman rhetoric, described by Quintilian as a device in which one yields ground in order to gain iti. It was revived by Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca in their Treatise on Argumentation (1958) as a technique of liaison and of reinforcing the audience's adherence.

Definition and principle

The rhetorical concession rests on a principle of credibility through fairness: whoever acknowledges an opposing point appears honest, which strengthens the authority of their rebuttals. Psychologically, it exploits reciprocityi (the other party, having been heard, becomes more willing to listen) and the lowering of defences. The heart of the device is the pivot (“admittedly… but”, “I grant you that… however”): the concession is merely a springboard, and it is what comes after the “but” that counts.

Concrete examples of application

Application by context

The same technique, across every negotiation settings

Context 1 / 8

Sales negotiation

Faced with “your solution is more expensive”, the seller: “You are absolutely right, we are more expensive to buy. And that is precisely because the total cost over three years is 20% lower.” The concession on price opens the way to the total-cost argument.

How to integrate it

Concede the indefensible point (the price is higher, that is a fact) to shift the ground immediately onto where you are strong (the total cost, the durability).

Strengths

Defuses the objection instead of denying it, which instantly lends the seller credibility.

Weaknesses

If the “but” that follows is weak, the concession becomes an admission of weakness with nothing in return.

Context 2 / 8

Procurement negotiation

The buyer: “I acknowledge that your quality is superior, no one disputes it. But at this price level, the difference does not justify the gap.” He concedes quality to focus the entire debate on the single ground of price, where he wants to negotiate.

How to integrate it

Concede a secondary opposing advantage to lock the discussion onto the criterion that suits you, presenting it as the only decisive one.

Strengths

Deprives the seller of their favourite argument by granting it, then sends them back to the sole ground of price.

Weaknesses

A skilled seller may refuse the framing (“quality is precisely what justifies the gap”) and reopen the conceded debate.

Context 3 / 8

Labour negotiation

A director during annual pay talks: “I grant you that the efforts asked of you last year were real and were delivered. That is also why I am asking you to understand this year's cash-flow constraint.” The acknowledgement opens up a hearing before the difficult request.

How to integrate it

First concede the employees' merit to establish rapport, before introducing the constraint: having been heard, they receive the refusal better.

Strengths

Gets a hard position across by having it preceded by a sincere acknowledgement.

Weaknesses

Without a concrete act behind the acknowledgement, the concession rings hollow and feeds distrust.

Context 4 / 8

Crisis management

In crisis management: “You are right, we underestimated the problem at the outset, I take responsibility for that. And that is why we have now mobilised a dedicated team.” The admission of the past fault lends credibility to the announcement of the measures.

How to integrate it

Concede the real share of responsibility to defuse the accusation, then pivot to the corrective action that regains the initiative.

Strengths

The controlled admission restores credibility and cuts the ground from under the accusers' feet.

Weaknesses

Conceding an unestablished fault can create legal liability or a costly precedent.

Context 5 / 8

Political negotiation

A minister in debate: “I hear the opposition on the diagnosis: yes, purchasing power is suffering. But the solutions it proposes would worsen the debt we leave our children.” The concession on the assessment isolates the opponent on their remedies.

How to integrate it

Concede the shared assessment to appear reasonable, then attack only the opposing solutions, the ground where you feel strong.

Strengths

Neutralises the attack on the diagnosis and refocuses the fight on the remedies.

Weaknesses

Conceding a failure too early can be replayed endlessly by the opponent as an admission.

Context 6 / 8

Real-estate negotiation

An agent to the seller: “You are right, your house is magnificently located, it is a genuine asset. However, the market in the area has fallen by 8% this half-year.” Acknowledging the asset softens the announcement of the price adjustment.

How to integrate it

Concede the emotional quality of the property to spare the seller's feelings, before introducing the market data that compels a price revision.

Strengths

Gets bad market news accepted by first validating the owner's pride.

Weaknesses

The seller may cling to the conceded asset to refuse any adjustment (“precisely, that commands a premium”).

Context 7 / 8

Cross-cultural negotiation

In a French-Indian negotiation, the European partner: “I understand that your timetable differs from ours, and that is legitimate. However, our end client imposes a firm deadline.” The concession on the relationship to time preserves the relationship before setting out the constraint.

How to integrate it

Concede the cultural difference (relationship to time, to hierarchy) to show respect, before explaining your own non-negotiable constraint.

Strengths

Defuses the cultural clash by validating the other party's logic before imposing one's own.

Weaknesses

Conceding a substantive point out of pure courtesy may be understood as a firm commitment in certain cultures.

Context 8 / 8

Family negotiation

In an inheritance division: “You are right, you have looked after our parents more than the rest of us these past years, I readily acknowledge it. That said, the law provides for an equal division of shares.” The recognition of the devotion precedes the reminder of the legal framework.

How to integrate it

Concede the emotional merit of the relative to avoid open conflict, before bringing the discussion back to the legal or practical framework.

Strengths

Preserves the relationship by validating the feeling, while holding one's position on the substance.

Weaknesses

An emotional concession with no concrete compensation may be experienced as empty recognition, even contemptuous.

Counter-techniques

Spot and neutralise this technique

Negotiation is also played on defence. Here is how to recognise this technique when it is used against you, and turn it around.

Detect

The signals that give it away

  • A false alternative ("it's A or B")
  • A sweeping generalisation
  • A loaded question

Neutralise

The counters that defuse it

  • Refuse the false dilemma: "there is a third way"
  • Ask for precise facts
  • Break the question down before answering

Turn around

Turn it into an advantage

Send the question back to its author to regain the initiative.

The trap to avoid

Answering on the terms imposed by the other side.

In brief

  • Difficulty: Beginner
  • Estimated effectiveness: Very high
  • Implementation time: Short
  • Fields of application: Sales, Labour negotiation, Debate, Mediation, Diplomacy
  • Synonyms: Concessio, Concessive prolepsis, The yes-but technique
  • Tags: concession, rebuttal, yes-but, Perelman, reciprocity

Strengths and weaknesses

The rhetorical concession lends credibility to the one who uses it: acknowledging an opposing point makes them appear honest and strengthens the authority of their rebuttals. It disarms the objection rather than denying it, and exploits reciprocity. Its limit: everything rests on the strength of the rejoinder after the “but”; a concession without a solid counter-argument becomes a mere admission of weakness.

When to use this technique?

Use it to respond to a valid objection that cannot be denied, to defuse an accusation, or to establish rapport before a difficult position. Avoid conceding a truly decisive or legally binding point, and do not overdo it (a concession not followed by a genuine counter-argument sabotages the position).

How to recognise and counter this technique

Recognise it: the other party agrees with you on a minor point just before a “but” that carries all their message. Neutralise it: do not let the concession lull you, focus your reply on what follows the “but” (“let us keep the point you have just granted”). Turn it around: accept the concession as a definitive gain and refuse the rejoinder (“you have just admitted X, let us leave it there”).

Limits and ethics

The concession becomes manipulative when it is purely tactical, without sincere acknowledgement, and serves only to lull the other party's vigilance. Conceding an unproven fault can create undue liability. In a social context, a recognition not followed by acts is experienced as cynicism. Rule: what one concedes must be real, and the rejoinder fair.

Variants and related techniques

It combines with Prolepsis (conceding the objection before it is raised) and Tactical empathy. Close to Preterition when the concession is feigned. It stands in opposition to head-on denial and to rebuttal by direct contradiction.

Going further

  • Chaïm Perelman & Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca, The New Rhetoric: A Treatise on Argumentation, 1958.
  • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, book IX, 1st century.
  • Roger Fisher & William Ury, Getting to Yes, 1981.

Objectives of the technique

  • Strengthen one's credibility by openly acknowledging a valid point from the other party, showing that one argues in good faith and not out of posturing
  • Defuse an objection or a criticism by conceding it from the outset, so as to strip it of its force and prevent the opponent from clinging to it
  • Turn a conceded argument to the service of one's own thesis ('I grant you that, and it is precisely why...')
  • Circumscribe the debate by yielding on the secondary in order to lock down the essential and focus the discussion on what matters
  • Lower the tension and create a climate of reciprocity by giving the other party the feeling of being heard and respected

Famous cases

Sales · Conceding on price the better to defend value: Faced with a buyer who hammers home 'your offer is more expensive than the competition's', a salesperson replies: 'You are right, on the listed price we are 8% above, I readily grant you that.' By conceding the undeniable fact, they remove the buyer's emotional lever, then continue: 'And it is precisely because the service includes maintenance and replacement within 24 hours that this extra cost saves you money on production stoppages.' The rhetorical concession turns the objection into a springboard for the value argument.

Judicial · The barrister who concedes a fact to save the essential: In a plea, a defence barrister openly concedes to the opposing party an awkward but peripheral factual element, their client's presence at the scene, rather than contesting it in vain. By admitting it, they appear credible and honest before the court, which strengthens their denial on the truly decisive point (intent). Conceding the minor fact buys credibility to defend the major fact.

Common mistakes

  • Conceding a central point instead of a secondary one: you think you are gaining credibility but you are in fact abandoning your substantive position
  • Following up with a 'but' that cancels the concession and makes it seem an insincere manoeuvre; prefer 'and it is precisely why' to capitalise on it
  • Multiplying rhetorical concessions to the point of appearing to agree on everything and diluting one's own thesis
  • Confusing the rhetorical concession (verbal, with nothing in return) with the transactional concession (transfer of value): conceding a fact must not slide into conceding a discount
  • Conceding a false or unverifiable point out of a mere wish to please: the concession has force only if it bears on a genuinely admissible point

Scientific foundations

  • Chaïm Perelman & Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca (1958) Traité de l'argumentation. La nouvelle rhétorique Presses Universitaires de France
  • Robert Cialdini (2001) Influence: Science and Practice Allyn & Bacon
  • Roger Fisher & William Ury (1981) Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In Houghton Mifflin

Quick exercise

Test yourself before answering

Answer in your head, then reveal the solution. Memory is built through active recall.

1 Quels signaux doivent vous alerter ?
  • A false alternative ("it's A or B")
  • A sweeping generalisation
  • A loaded question
2 Quelles parades appliquer ?
  • Refuse the false dilemma: "there is a third way"
  • Ask for precise facts
  • Break the question down before answering

Frequently asked questions

The questions we get most

What is the "The Rhetorical Concession (concessio)" technique?

The rhetorical concession consists in granting the opponent a point, real or apparent, the better to strengthen one's own thesis immediately afterwards. In negotiation, it disarms contradiction (“you are right on that point, but…”) by giving the other party the feeling of being heard, while regaining the initiative through the rejoinder that follows and that alone carries the real message.

Is the "The Rhetorical Concession (concessio)" technique ethical?

It sits on the line: effective, but it can tip into manipulation if it exploits an information asymmetry. Use it with measure and without deliberate deceit.

How do you defend against "The Rhetorical Concession (concessio)"?

Answering on the terms imposed by the other side. The right reflex: refuse the false dilemma: "there is a third way".

What is the "The Rhetorical Concession (concessio)" technique based on?

NEGOCOACH does not assess the experimental validation of this technique in isolation. What we document is the grounding of its source school (Classical rhetoric): documented school. Full detail is in the "At a glance" section of this page.

Practise with AI

Three ready-to-use prompts

Copy, paste into your assistant, replace the [brackets]. Works with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, Perplexity.

Prepare

Build your plan before the meeting

You are an expert negotiation coach. Help me prepare to use the "The Rhetorical Concession (concessio)" technique in the following situation: [describe your situation]. Give me: the conditions for success, a 3-step script, my counterpart's likely objections and how to answer them.

ChatGPT Claude Perplexity

Simulate

Rehearse against an AI counterpart

Play the role of my counterpart in a negotiation. I am going to test the "The Rhetorical Concession (concessio)" technique. React realistically and with resistance, do not give in too quickly, then at the end analyse my performance and suggest 3 concrete improvements.

ChatGPT Claude Perplexity

Debrief

Analyse a past negotiation

Here is how my negotiation went: [paste the exchanges]. Analyse whether the "The Rhetorical Concession (concessio)" technique was used well, what worked, the mistakes made, and spell out precisely what I could have done better.

ChatGPT Claude Perplexity

References

Bibliography & credible sources

Founding works of the 📜 Classical rhetoric school this technique belongs to.

  • Cover: You Can Negotiate Anything

    You Can Negotiate Anything

    Book

    H. Cohen · 1980

    The best-seller that democratised negotiation: everything is negotiable, provided you understand power, time and information. Accessible in tone and full of everyday examples.

  • Cover: Everything is Negotiable

    Everything is Negotiable

    Book

    G. Kennedy · 1982

    A practical guide to negotiating in daily life as in business, centred on conditional exchange and firmness on your interests. Kennedy hunts down the negotiator's "soft" reflexes.

Aristotle ("Rhetoric"), Quintilian; C. Perelman & L. Olbrechts-Tyteca, "The New Rhetoric", 1958; A. Schopenhauer, "The Art of Being Right".

On video

See the technique in action

Videos to picture The Rhetorical Concession (concessio) and anchor it through examples.

Search for videos Examples & demonstrations

Technique map

Where this technique sits

Every technique sits within a network: what it draws on, what it combines with, where it applies, and how to defend against it.

Levers engaged

biases & emotions

Fields of application

Sales negotiation Procurement negotiation Labour negotiation Crisis management Political negotiation Real-estate negotiation Cross-cultural negotiation Family negotiation

Countered by

Spot its signals, neutralise it and turn it around with the defensive playbook on this page.

See the counter-techniques

Key takeaways

  • En une phrase

    The rhetorical concession consists in granting the opponent a point, real or apparent, the better to strengthen one's own thesis immediately afterwards. In negotiation, it disarms contradiction (“you are right on that point, but…”) by giving the other party the feeling of being heard, while regaining the initiative through the rejoinder that follows and that alone carries the real message.

  • The right reflex

    Send the question back to its author to regain the initiative.

  • Never do this

    Answering on the terms imposed by the other side.

6.3/10 tactical potential Moderate vigilance Documented school

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