The worst AVN I managed. I pushed back hard on every ask and focused on holding
By Ant Finch · October 13, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
The worst AVN I managed.
I pushed back hard on every ask and focused on holding the line, because that's what strong negotiating looked like to me at the time.
The AVN dragged on for months.
By the time it closed, I'd lost more in delayed activity and a damaged relationship than the terms ask was ever worth to me and the business.
I was optimising for winning points with my boss, not for winning the account.
What I'd advise now... the goal is never to win every line, it's to know in advance which lines are worth the fight, and let the rest go early so the ones that mattered get the energy and focus.
Confidence without preparation looks and feels like stubbornness to the person across the table.
I still think about that one.
It's part of why I built a proper scoring process for AVN prep rather than relying on instinct in the room
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