Thanks Tamala… for stopping by and for the great comment!
It's certainly an interesting area. Most people hate it of course but it's going on every day whether we like it or not - much like with your friend. Job interviews are a great example.
Perhaps it's best not to go too extreme with the anchor ("give me a million!") but it is a good idea to frame it further in the direction you want as it's likely to come back the other way, especially with a shrewd negotiator across the table. Either way, it's tempting to just take what you're given but there's always a way for everyone to walk away happy. It's handy for the other party to go first so you know what they're thinking, although they might be giving out an extreme anchor of their own!
Yeah, worth a read, my babbling can only go so far ;). I've done a fair few others and more to come as and when. Let me know if you have any great recommendations!
Cheers!