If you are going to attempt to use this tactic, the most important thing to consider is that your offer must be within the range of reasonableness. "Shock 'em with your first offer" is a good sound-bite, but make sure not to actually shock them. If the number that you propose is outside the range of reasonableness, an experienced negotiator will "wipe it off the table" and re-anchor.

For example, if you are negotiating your salary for a first-time software engineering gig and open with $500k, the other side is likely to say something like, "There is absolutely no way we can do that. We would like to offer you $75k." If you're offer gets wiped off the table, your anchor has absolutely no power in the negotiation.

So go high (or low, if you're on the other side of the table), but don't be too extreme.

There's also the potential that the offer gets pulled because they realize you're not a good fit based on the large salary range discrepancy. If I'm hiring for someone at $50K and they're asking for $150K, I know that there's a good chance the employee will end up being unhappy financially and looking for another job anyway if we compromise closer to $75K.

You never know for sure, but I believe this happened to me. I had a follow up call with HR about why they weren't continuing with me despite what felt like a good "getting to know you" introduction interview.

The gist of the answer was "we feel that you are in range of [some job level/position] but only the very senior people in that department are paid in the range you mentioned as your requirement."

So they decided not to spend any more time with me because of the mismatch of salary and their perception of my experience level so far.

Also known as anchoring[1] which is exactly what the article is about

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchoring

It works for me in dating. Most guys when they talk to a girl will ask for her number so much so that most women are auto-programmed to play hard to get about giving out their number.

So I tried something and it works a lot better: I ask them for a concrete date/time we can meet again for a date. I give zero importance to their number. Qualitatively, I think most girls are "shocked" and not used to someone telling them their phone number is completely irrelevant.

Shock me with up to 20 percent over what you believe i expect to pay. Not any more.

therefore if you're an engineer and the typical job is 100 thousand, ask me for 120 if you want to play this game. It is unlikely this would shut down the conversation though it may send up a warning flag.

Anything over that and I don't see a point to continue the conversation. I wonder if you are clueless about your value or if you are a diva who will cause too many headaches later. You can't take it back either.

Bargaining 101