135: An FBI Hostage Agent on How to Negotiate as if Your Life Depended on It (feat. Chris Voss)

One of the greatest relationship skills you’ll ever acquire is the ability to negotiate. But most of the tactics we’ve learned about negotiation don’t really work. Wouldn’t you agree? How did the last negotiation you were in turn-out? Even if it did work-out in your favor, the ability to accelerate in relationship communication is vital…and it could save your life. Our guest today knows negotiation on a level of intensity and pressure many of us will never have to experience. He is Chris Voss, the former lead international kidnapping negotiator for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

For over two decades, Chris Voss was the lead international kidnapping negotiator for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the FBI’s hostage negotiation representative for the National Security Council’s Hostage Working Group. During his government career, he also represented the U.S. Government at two international conferences sponsored by the G-8 as an expert in kidnapping. But prior to becoming the FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator, Chris served as the lead Crisis Negotiator for the New York City Division of the FBI and was a member of the New York City Joint Terrorist Task Force for 14 years. Suffice to say, he’s seen some things.

How’s this for a resume? Chris was the case agent on TERRSTOP, the TWA Flight 800 catastrophe and negotiated the surrender of the first hostage taker to give up in the Chase Manhattan bank robbery hostage taking. During Chris’s 24 year tenure in the Bureau, he was trained in the art of negotiation by not only the FBI but Scotland Yard and Harvard Law School. Needless to say, this is one bad dude.

In today’s conversation, Chris is going to unpack negotiation secrets and strategies that will enable you to win at work and create more meaningful relationships at home. The skills you’re about to learn could very well be the difference-maker you need to form greater connection in every relational situation you face. You ready? Here’s the conversation with the FBI’s former lead hostage negotiator, Chris Voss. Buy Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It right here, right now.

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What Listeners Are Saying…

“So great to find a podcast that is both encouraging and challenging! It is professionally produced, yet still has an informal feel like I’m hanging out with Chris… And frankly, I’d love to hang out with him! I really appreciate his heart and have been able to apply many of his topics in my life to help me grow professionally, physically, and relationally. A+!”