When you decide that something needs to be negotiated, then you need to make sure that you are actually talking to the right person. The one that can make the final call.
When you talk to the right person, then a decision can be reached and progress can be made. There have been times when I thought I was talking to the right person just to find out later that I needed someone else’s approval. This was frustrating because I had to start the whole process over again with the new person.
When you start negotiating an outcome, you need to first ask if you are talking to the right people. It should not be offending to others if you ask correctly. Try this… “Is there anyone else that should be involved in this conversation?”.
There is no guarantee that the other person will actually let you know of everyone that should be involved. There is a strong possibility that the person may not know, or that they think they are the bottom line. So you cannot cut off the conversation, you just need to continue and ask the same question again later.
Try this… “So if we agree with this decision, I can move ahead under your authority?” This places a large amount to stress on someone who is not sure they are the bottom line, or that is not letting you know they are not. Continue with “If you are sure that your authority covers this area, then I can move forward as soon as we are done”.
There will probably be some hedging of authority in the skittish, but confidence from the real decision making person. When the skittishness shows up, ask again if there is “possibly” someone else that you “may” need to check with.