Of course, one way to solve your own problem is to convince your opponent to agree with you. It may not be worth the effort - but you can try some of the following methods:

• Ask the opponent to prove their statement
  • Say that they are making a serious assertion
  • Explain that you will be non-judgmental
    • You will not stipulate whether they are right or wrong
    • However, you do want them to prove the issues
    • Explain that they have to prove their own point; you do not want to hear from another person. They will often back down
• Speak to the opponent in person rather than by phone
  • The phone is over-rated
  • Real, serious business is accomplished in person, face-to-face, and not by phone
  • The videophone or picture phone is an improvement, but still not as good as a real meeting.
• Speak to the opponent in the company of one or two other people
• Agree to some of the opponent's initial statements if you can
  • You may be able to give in on minor issues in the beginning
  • The opponent may feel that they owe you something since you already gave in
  • This may make your subsequent bargaining easier

These methods are not foolproof. However, it may be helpful to add them to your arsenal of tools when it is worth fighting for an issue.