Out-neutral / Advice url
Restraint-2
- Don’t let the cat out of the bag.
- Don’t make matters worse.
- Keep it under your hat.
- Get a hold of yourself.
- Just try not to go overboard doing it, both in terms of time and money.
- Get control of yourself.
- Button your lip.
- Try and get a hold of yourself.
- I know that may feel good to speak your mind and get things off your chest, but sometimes it’s better just to bite your tongue.
Restraint-2
In-negative / Doubt url
Police questioning thief
- Your story doesn’t hold water.
- Can you please run that by me again?
- That’s hard to believe.
- You expect me to believe that?
- There’s something fishy about your story.
- You’re lying through his teeth.
- What you’re tell me just doesn’t wash.
- Do you expect me to believe that cock and bull story?
- That’s nothing new.
- It’s too late for that.
- I think you’ve been up to no good.
- You can talk till you’re blue in the face, I just don’t buy it.
Police questioning thief
In-negative / Doubt url
Being told that a bad investment you made will go back up
- You’re just trying to make me feel better.
- How can you be so sure?
- I think the truth is more complicated than the way you’re making it sound.
- What you’re saying just doesn’t hold water.
- I wouldn’t hold my breath.
- That’ll be the day.
- I don’t believe it for a minute.
- After what already happened, what difference does it make anyway?
- Maybe yes, maybe no.
Being told that a bad investment you made will go back up
In-negative / Explaining url
Refusing to lie on a tax return to save money
- What did you expect me to do?
- That’s not my style.
- Why should I take the risk?
- I do what I have to do.
- I’m doing it just to be on the safe side.
- It’s taking all my will power to resist.
- I was holding on by a thread.
- I think it's the best thing to do.
- My hands are tied.
- It’s out of my hands.
- I’m conflicted about it.
- I shudder when I think of the downside of doing this.
- I’d rather play it safe.
- It's the right thing to do.
- I just can’t take the chance.
- The risks far outweigh the benefits.
- The way I look at it, I really don’t have much of a choice.
- I can’t see myself doing that.
Refusing to lie on a tax return to save money
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Let’s make peace-2
- Let’s be reasonable.
- Don’t rule it out.
- Let’s not get started on the wrong foot.
- Is that OK with you?
- Nobody is holding a gun to your head.
- Let’s be open with each other.
- There’s no hard feelings between us, OK?
- I’ll make it up to you.
- See, that wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
- I’ve had a change of heart.
Let’s make peace-2
In-positive / Determination url
Someone offered a bribe
- I’ll never do it, no matter what you say.
- Not if I can help it.
- It will never happen again.
- I’m going to put my foot down once and for all.
- I’ve made up my mind that - once and for all - I’m going to put a stop to this.
- I’m not going to let that happen.
- We’ll put a stop to that.
- I won’t hear of it.
- I won’t budge an inch.
Someone offered a bribe
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
You’re not negotiating well-3
- That’s a low blow.
- I have to watch you like a hawk.
- I feel like I’m being rail-roaded into it.
- Who are you trying to kid?
- I don’t trust you any more than I can throw you.
- Now you’re showing your true colors.
- Don’t point the finger at me.
- I’ll give you one more chance.
- Why open up old wounds?
- I know how you operate.
- Where do you come from saying something like that to me?
- Wait just one cotton pickin’ minute.
- That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard.
- I suspect that you might have an ace up your sleeve.
You’re not negotiating well-3
In-neutral / Acceptance url
Starting the marathon race
- I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
- You know anything’s possible.
- Times they are a changing.
- I’ll just deal with it the best I can.
- A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Starting the marathon race
Out-positive / Agreement url
It always pays to be totally honest
- That certainly seems the best way.
- Well, I should hope so.
- I can’t help but think so.
- That’s a nice thought.
- That’s exactly what I mean.
- That’s a strategy that’s hard to beat.
- It’s just like what you said.
- You better believe it!
- That’s as true as the fact that the sun will rise in the East tomorrow morning.
- You can say that again.
- I won’t argue the point.
- You might be onto something.
It always pays to be totally honest
Out-positive / Encouragement url
For a friend who’s tied in a final set of a tennis match
- That’s the spirit.
- You’ve got it in the palm of your hand.
- You’ve got what it takes.
- You’ve got to come through, we’re all depending on you.
- We’re all rooting for you.
- Take the bull by the horns.
- You can do it.
- The ball is in your court.
- Give it your best shot.
- Give it the old college try.
- We’re all counting on you.
- It’s all up to you.
- Get a move on it, and strike the iron while it’s hot.
- It’s shaping up to be a moment of truth.
- This is your big chance, don’t blow it.
For a friend who’s tied in a final set of a tennis match
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Let’s work things out-3
- It’s easy to have 20-20 vision about things that happened in the past.
- We both have to admit that neither one of us saw it coming.
- There are no guarantees.
- Let’s get it out in the open.
- So what’s the bottom line?
- Now let’s get things out in the open.
- We both want the same thing.
- Let’s have the whole story out in the open.
- I’ll be glad to answer any questions you might have.
- Take all the time in the world.
- It doesn’t have to be that way.
- If that’s all right with you.
- Does it really matter?
- I’ll give it a try.
Let’s work things out-3
In-negative / Explaining url
Coming late for an appointment
- I just plum forgot.
- It slipped my mind.
- Forgive me, I just didn’t remember.
- I didn’t do it on purpose.
- I hope you understand.
- Please don’t take it personally.
- I knew I forgot something.
- I’ve been burning the candle at both ends.
- I’ve been crazy busy lately.
- I have a lot on my plate.
- The time just slipped through my fingers.
- I just have no sense of time.
Coming late for an appointment