I agree. Following that recipe, you decide on ending the phone call with a nice, but uncooperative about blurting out a number recruiter who claims they can be competitive.
Now the question is this: if you are willing to blow off the whole process anyway on that call, why not at least try giving them a number and give them a chance and see if they would beat it?
> why not at least try giving them a number and give them a chance and see if they would beat it?
If it's obvious that the recruiter is uncooperative or that the role isn't prestigious/top-tier, this is exactly what one should do.
The reaction to blowout numbers may just surprise you, and perhaps not for the better..
In my life I've been more upset by a lack of resistance in negotiations (of any kind) than immediate supplication, because it invariably means: "I could've done better, my appraisal was wrong"
Sure, if you want to interview for the position so badly, name some arbitrary high number. But Patrick's original point is that you should never disclose your current salary or the number you're truly willing to settle for, since it sets a premature upper ceiling on what you could end up making.
Now the question is this: if you are willing to blow off the whole process anyway on that call, why not at least try giving them a number and give them a chance and see if they would beat it?