In-negative / Desperation url
Can’t pay the mortgage
- Things have gotten totally out of hand.
- I’m having trouble making ends meet.
- What am I going to do?
- Sometimes I feel that it's all going to be downhill from here.
- I hope I haven’t blown it.
- Nowadays, it’s hard to make ends meet.
- I’m hanging by a thread.
- If this goes on I’m going to lose my mind.
- I was up all night worrying about it.
- I feel down and out.
- Sometimes I tell myself, ‘Don’t even bother’.
- When I hope that things will get better, I realize: don’t hold your breath.
- I feel like I’m beating a dead horse.
Can’t pay the mortgage
Out-neutral / Advice url
Skeptic
- The chances of that happening are pretty close to zero.
- If you believe that I have a bridge to sell you.
- Nothing lasts forever.
- You can’t believe everything you hear.
- I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you.
- It’s not worth it.
- I think you’re expecting something that’s not realistic.
- I don’t think that’s such a good idea.
- Lightning never strikes twice in the same spot.
- That’s not a good idea.
- There’s more to it than meets the eye.
- You can’t judge a book by its cover.
- It’s not what it’s cracked up to be.
- Take it with a grain of salt.
- You have to read between the lines.
Skeptic
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
Out-neutral / Negotiating url
Express your viewpoint
- Speak now or forever hold your peace.
- You go right ahead.
- Speak for yourself.
- Shoot from the hip.
- Why didn’t you say something?
- Put your money where your mouth is.
- That’s your opinion.
- You can talk to your heart’s content.
- Cat got your tongue?
- Judge for yourself.
- You’re a free agent.
- If you’ve get something to say, say it.
- Run it by me again.
- Come on, out with it.
Express your viewpoint
Out-negative / Annoyed url
You are guilty
- You look like the cat that swallowed the canary.
- That’s pretty under-handed.
- You’re getting away with murder.
- It’s all your fault.
- I caught you red handed.
- You were caught with your hand in the cookie jar.
- What kind of game are you playing?
- I feel sorry for you.
- You know what you did.
You are guilty
Out-positive / Friendship url
Hot talk
- You’re hot stuff.
- You’re cute as a button.
- You’re a real knock-out.
- Your eyes are as blue as the sky.
- I could hug you to death.
- You’re a sweetie pie.
- I’m going to sweep you off your feet.
Hot talk
In-positive / Confidence url
Lawyer with new client
- I do everything by the book.
- The odds are in our favor.
- You let me be the judge of that.
- It’s coming along nicely.
- I have everything and under control, and you don’t have to worry about a thing.
- Your secret is safe with me.
- You can rest assured that I’ve got a handle on the situation, and that everything is under control, and that there’s nothing to worry about.
- It’s an open and shut case.
- I will do what needs to be done.
- Leave everything to me.
Lawyer with new client
In-negative / Explaining url
After investing in worthless land
- I fell for it hook, line and sinker.
- I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
- I should have known.
- It seemed like the right to do thing at the time.
- It took me totally by surprise.
- I was talked into it.
- The thought that this would be such a bad decision never crossed my mind.
- There’s not a whole lot I can do about it at this point.
- That never would have dawned on me.
- I didn’t see it coming.
- In theory that was how it was supposed to play out, but in actuality that’s not what happened.
- How was I supposed to know that?
- It beats me how that could have happened.
- It was an honest mistake.
- It could happen to anyone.
- I’m sorry that things didn’t work out the way I expected them to.
- I found out the hard way.
- The thought never even crossed my mind.
- That was something I wasn’t even aware of.
- Frankly, it’s just not something I could have anticipated.
- That’s something I just didn’t count on.
- They really took me to the cleaners.
- I must admit, from the beginning the whole thing wasn’t clear to me, and went way over my head.
- I was a sitting duck.
- I was being penny wise and pound foolish.
After investing in worthless land
Out-negative / Anger url
You deserve punishment
- It serves you right.
- No more Mister nice guy.
- You’re asking for it.
- You deserved exactly what you got.
- You won’t get away with this.
- You’ll pay for this.
- You’re not fit to wipe my feet on.
You deserve punishment
In-neutral / Caution url
A publisher given a story that might be libelous
- I just can’t chance it.
- I’m going to treat it with kid gloves.
- It could blow sky high.
- Let’s not rush into things.
- I may be sitting on a time bomb.
- One option is for is for me to just wait it out.
- I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.
- It’s best if I wait until the whole thing blows over.
- I just don’t feel like bucking the system.
- I’m inclined to just tiptoe around the whole situation.
- I think if I got involved in any way I would be playing with fire.
- My gut feeling is that I should just leave it well enough alone.
- The fact that no one else wants to do it is not a good sign.
- I don't know the person involved from a hole in the wall, and I think I should regard that as a warning signal.
A publisher given a story that might be libelous
Out-positive / Apology url
After a boss tells a worker that management won’t let him give the worker an expected raise
- I only wish I could have done more.
- I did the best I could.
- I’m sorry, my hands are tied.
- It might not make any sense to you, but that’s what they decided, and I hope you understand.
- I’m sorry that it’s not the answer you hoped for.
- My apologies that it took me longer to get the answer than I thought it would.
- I hope that we’ll be able to give you a better answer next time.
- I’m hoping this is something you can live with for the time being.
- I was told to explain to you that it’s due to circumstances beyond their control.
- Please give us a chance to make it up to you next time.
After a boss tells a worker that management won’t let him give the worker an expected raise
Out-positive / Agreement url
Would you like to take another laptop similar to the one I gave you last time?
- I’ll give it a try.
- That's certainly fine with me.
- That would be perfect.
- That would be a win-win situation.
- I'd be glad to take it off your hands.
- I’ll take anything you have to offer.
- Of course I wouldn't mind.
- How could I forget how well it worked out last time.
- I’ll be glad to.
- I certainly will.
- You know it.
- If you don't need it, it's like one hand washing the other.
Would you like to take another laptop similar to the one I gave you last time?