“Negotiation is not an act of battle; it’s a process of discovery. The goal is to uncover as much information as possible.… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“Most people in a negotiation are driven by fear or by the desire to avoid pain. Too few are driven by their… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“Effective negotiation is applied people smarts, a psychological edge in every domain of life: how to size someone up, how to influence… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“Negotiation serves two distinct, vital life functions—information gathering and behavior influencing—and includes almost any interaction where each party wants something from the… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“Your goal at the outset is to extract and observe as much information as possible. Which, by the way, is one of… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“As I’ve worked with executives and students to develop these skills, I always try to reinforce the message that being right isn’t… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“Good negotiators, going in, know they have to be ready for possible surprises; great negotiators aim to use their skills to reveal… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“The Downs hijacking case came to epitomize everything not to do in a crisis situation, and inspired the development of today’s theories,… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“Here are some other great standbys that I use in almost every negotiation, depending on the situation: What about this is important… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“In a negotiation, that’s called labeling. Labeling is a way of validating someone’s emotion by acknowledging it. Give someone’s emotion a name… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“The language of negotiation is primarily a language of conversation and rapport: a way of quickly establishing relationships and getting people to… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“In any bare-knuckle bargaining session, the most vital principle to keep in mind is never to look at your counterpart as an… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“Notice we said 'It sounds like . . .' and not 'I'm hearing that . . .' That's because the word 'I'… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“By making your counterparts articulate implementation in their own words, your carefully calibrated “How” questions will convince them that the final solution… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“A good negotiator prepares, going in, to be ready for possible surprises; a great negotiator aims to use her skills to reveal… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“The kidnapper who was negotiating with Julie seemed extremely perplexed by her persistent questions, and he kept asking for time to think.… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“■ People who view negotiation as a battle of arguments become overwhelmed by the voices in their head. Negotiation is not an act… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“The CEO answered by saying the bill was too high, that he’d pay half of it and that they would talk about… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“When the day of the meeting arrived, Anna opened by acknowledging ABC’s biggest gripes. “We understand that we brought you on board… — Chris Voss Copy Share Image
“Most of the time, you should be using the positive/playful voice. It’s the voice of an easygoing, good-natured person. Your attitude is light and… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“By repeating back what people say, you trigger this mirroring instinct and your counterpart will inevitably elaborate on what was just said and sustain… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“Every case is new. We must let what we know - our known knowns - guide us but not blind us to what we… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“The Downs hijacking case came to epitomize everything not to do in a crisis situation, and inspired the development of today’s theories, training, and… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“In any interaction, it pleases us to feel that the other side is listening and acknowledging our situation. Whether you are negotiating a business… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“Here are some other great standbys that I use in almost every negotiation, depending on the situation: What about this is important to you?… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“If I just ask for a volunteer, my students sit on their hands and look away. You’ve been there. You can almost feel your… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“when you phrase a label as a neutral statement of understanding, it encourages your counterpart to be responsive. They’ll usually give a longer answer… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“There are essentially three voice tones available to negotiators: the late-night FM DJ voice, the positive/playful voice, and the direct or assertive voice. Forget… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“Instead of addressing his grumpy behavior, you acknowledge his sadness in a nonjudgmental way. You head him off before he can really get started.… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“Notice we said 'It sounds like . . .' and not 'I'm hearing that . . .' That's because the word 'I' gets people's… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“What were needed were simple psychological tactics and strategies that worked in the field to calm people down, establish rapport, gain trust, elicit the… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“they should be teased out. Labeling is a helpful tactic in de-escalating angry confrontations, because it makes the person acknowledge their feelings rather than… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“List the worst things that the other party could say about you and say them before the other person can. Performing an accusation audit… — Chris Voss Copy Share
“There’s one powerful way to quiet the voice in your head and the voice in their head at the same time: treat two schizophrenics… — Chris Voss Copy Share
