Ever felt a PE call tighten the moment valuation, exclusivity, or timelines hit the table? In this lesson, you’ll learn to hedge strategically—calibrating certainty, softening disagreement, making conditional commitments, and pushing back diplomatically—so you protect optionality without losing trust. You’ll get crisp explanations, PE‑native micro‑phrases and dialogue examples, plus quick drills and checks to lock the skill. Finish ready to keep doors open, move deals forward, and avoid quotable over‑commits on your next high‑stakes call.