Blog: The Negotiation Edge

The best negotiators are all focused on the same thing: using Tactical Empathy™ to understand what is making their counterpart tick and influencing their decision-making.

To get there, it’s critical to sharpen your social and emotional intelligence skills.

After all, you always want to be in a position where you can tell your counterpart that you understand exactly what they’re thinking. Ideally, you should be able to vocalize their thoughts from their perspective so perfectly that they have no choice but to respond with the two magic words: that’s right.

Once you’ve reached that point, the deal closes itself. 

Many humans have a hard time communicating clearly with other people. More often than not, we beat around the bush and talk in roundabout ways instead of being upfront, open, and honest. In many cases, understanding what someone is saying can feel like pulling teeth.

The good news is that by making it a habit to use active communication, you can increase the likelihood you are easily understood, leading to more deals. Here’s how to do that: 

Every now and again, the best negotiators find themselves sitting across the table from someone who is nonconfrontational.

Because we are all so accustomed to dealing with counterparts who love to battle, it’s always worth revisiting the most effective ways to deal with nonconfrontational people.

Though I’ve retired from active duty, I’m still a reserve deputy in my local county. Recently, a new assistant chief came into the department and wanted to show the rest of the crew that he had power. So he met with the reserves and talked about 10 different projects he wanted to get off the ground.

Whether someone is buying a new car or making a multi-million dollar business deal, who wants to pay a single penny more than they absolutely need to?

Using The Black Swan Method™ to guide your price negotiation strategy, it is possible to get the best deal every time.

In every negotiation, each side has things they need to have and things they want to have. 

The first time I ever handled a hostage negotiation, the whole thing was over in five minutes. I thought that negotiation was easy and that I was a natural.