Common advice says never name the first number. The research on anchoring mostly says the opposite: whoever anchors first tends to pull the final outcome toward them, because every subsequent number gets judged relative to that anchor.
Anchor first when
- You know the market range with confidence.
- You are the one with the specialized information about scope.
- The other side is likely to anchor absurdly low if you let them.
Let them go first when
- You genuinely do not know the range — an unfamiliar market or an unusual buyer.
- You suspect their budget is far above your instinct, which is common with large companies.
- They have a fixed, published budget you can simply meet or decline.
A useful middle path is the informed range: "Projects like this usually land between $18,000 and $26,000 depending on how much of the migration you want us to own." You anchor, you stay flexible, and you invite them to tell you which end they belong at.
When asked for a number before you are ready, it is fine to say so: "I can give you a real number after I know two things." Naming a figure you will regret to fill an awkward silence is the expensive alternative.
Try it
Write your informed range for your most common engagement, with the specific factor that moves a buyer from the low end to the high end. Practice saying it out loud until it sounds ordinary.