Getting the upper hand while negotiating the terms and conditions of a transaction is tough when you’re not the one calling any of the shots. But thanks to a powerful subconscious process known as anchoring, you could have an easier time lowering your rent or the price of a pair of shows you’ve been eyeing just by exploiting a simple psychological trick.

Anchoring refers to a common human tendency to rely heavily on the first piece of information we receive. Everything we learn from that point on is interpreted based on that initial piece of information. Whether we realize it or not, companies have already used anchoring to push their products on the public in the form of marked down prices.

So how does an average Joe use anchoring as a bargaining tool? “Make a precise first offer.” Not only should you make the first offer before the seller has had a chance to consider their own offer, but you should also make it a precise number (i.e. $19.95 instead of $20). You may notice this as yet another anchoring technique used by companies to get us spending.