Chris Voss

“Every negotiation should start with “No”

— Chris Voss

“a spoon is a great tool for stirring soup but it’s not a recipe.”

— Chris Voss

“No deal is better than a bad deal”

— Chris Voss

“That they might help you extract what you want is a bonus; human connection is the first goal.”

— Chris Voss

“I switched into my Late-Night FM DJ Voice: deep, soft, slow, and reassuring.”

— Chris Voss

“A prozradím vám ještě další zajímavý poznatek. Ve skutečnosti existují tři typy „ano“: falešné, souhlasné a závazné.”

— Chris Voss

“It all starts with the universally applicable premise that people want to be understood and accepted.”

— Chris Voss

“Most people in a negotiation are driven by fear or by the desire to avoid pain. Too few are driven by their…

— Chris Voss

“The last rule of labeling is silence. Once you’ve thrown out a label, be quiet and listen.”

— Chris Voss

“The fastest and most efficient means of establishing a quick working relationship is to acknowledge the negative and diffuse it.”

— Chris Voss

“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

“The positive/playful voice: Should be your default voice. It’s the voice of an easygoing, good-natured person. Your attitude is light and encouraging.…

— Chris Voss

“I’m sorry, two copies?” she mirrored in response, remembering not only the DJ voice, but to deliver the mirror in an inquisitive…

— Chris Voss

“The basic issue here is that when people feel that they are not in control, they adopt what psychologists call a hostage…

— Chris Voss

“Ask someone, “What do you mean by that?” and you’re likely to incite irritation or defensiveness. A mirror, however, will get you…

— Chris Voss

“Now, think about how my client’s question worked: without accusing them of anything, it pushed the big company to understand her problem…

— Chris Voss

“Effective negotiation is applied people smarts, a psychological edge in every domain of life: how to size someone up, how to influence…

— Chris Voss

“Saying “No” gives the speaker the feeling of safety, security, and control. You use a question that prompts a “No” answer, and…

— Chris Voss

“Even something as harsh as “Why did you do it?” can be calibrated to “What caused you to do it?” which takes…

— Chris Voss

“What were needed were simple psychological tactics and strategies that worked in the field to calm people down, establish rapport, gain trust,…

— Chris Voss

“Having just two words to start with might not seem like a lot of ammunition, but trust me, you can use “what”…

— Chris Voss

“ask for help with one of the greatest-of-all-time calibrated questions: “How am I supposed to do that?” The critical part of this…

— Chris Voss

“It’s almost laughably simple: for the FBI, a “mirror” is when you repeat the last three words (or the critical one to…

— Chris Voss

“It comes down to the deep and universal human need for autonomy. People need to feel in control. When you preserve a…

— Chris Voss

“List the worst things that the other party could say about you and say them before the other person can. Performing an…

— Chris Voss

“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

“Notice we said 'It sounds like . . .' and not 'I'm hearing that . . .' That's because the word 'I'…

— Chris Voss

“The home-field advantage created by you each and every Sunday at FedEx Field does not go unnoticed,” TJ wrote. He then told…

— Chris Voss

“Try this the next time you have to apologize for a bone-headed mistake. Go right at it. The fastest and most efficient…

— Chris Voss

“Yes,” her boss responded, “one for us and one for the customer.” “I’m sorry, so you are saying that the client is…

— Chris Voss

“First, let’s talk a little human psychology. In basic terms, people’s emotions have two levels: the “presenting” behavior is the part above…

— Chris Voss

“Sensing the potential donor’s growing frustration, and wanting to end on a positive note so that they might be able to meet…

— Chris Voss

“Instead of addressing his grumpy behavior, you acknowledge his sadness in a nonjudgmental way. You head him off before he can really…

— Chris Voss

“A good negotiator prepares, going in, to be ready for possible surprises; a great negotiator aims to use her skills to reveal…

— Chris Voss

“The reasons why a counterpart will not make an agreement with you are often more powerful than why they will make a…

— Chris Voss

“Unbelief is the friction that keeps persuasion in check,” Dutton says. “Without it, there’d be no limits.” Giving your counterpart the illusion…

— Chris Voss

“Politics aside, empathy is not about being nice or agreeing with the other side. It’s about understanding them. Empathy helps us learn…

— Chris Voss

“A trap into which many fall is to take what other people say literally. I started to see that while people played…

— Chris Voss

“In court, defense lawyers do this properly by mentioning everything their client is accused of, and all the weaknesses of their case,…

— Chris Voss

“Good negotiators, going in, know they have to be ready for possible surprises; great negotiators aim to use their skills to reveal…

— Chris Voss