When the coercing power supplements its threats with incentives, it employs the carrot and stick approach. The success of any strategy will depend, in part, upon effective communication between the parties. George notes that parties may communicate by both words and actions. Successful coercive diplomacy will require coordination between words and actions. George notes however that there is no simple guide to such effective coordination.
Threats play a central role in coercive strategies.
How strong the threats or inducements need to be depends upon what one is demanding, and how resistant the adversary is to compliance. Moreover, the success or failure of coercive diplomacy often depends on the balance of motivation between the parties. Because of these factors, the choice of demand takes on strategic importance. Generally, the greater the demand, the stronger the adversary's resistance will be. Finally, the adversary's perception of the coercing power's motivation and commitment, and adversary's assessment of the credibility and potency of its threat, play the most significant role in determining the success or failure of a coercive strategy.