So this older guy basically taught you to flip the script and make the other person actually think instead of just react, which is way harder than it sounds when your blood is up. My question is what happened the next time you tried it, because I've noticed the trick works great on people who just want to be heard but falls apart on the ones who are only there to perform for a crowd. Did that guy in Dayton keep it up after the meeting ended or did he go right back to the same act once he had an audience again? And honestly, when you asked him what number was fair, was he actually willing to give a real answer or did he dodge it? Trying to figure out if this works because it taps into something real or if it just buys you a couple quiet minutes.

Scribe marks on tiny screws are a bad idea, period. Steel gets a scratch and that scratch becomes a crack every time. Saw it on a pair of old binoculars, guy kept reusing the same marked screw and one day the head just popped clean off. Sharpie dot and a photo is the right move. Costs nothing and saves you a headache.