Negotiating and Getting To ‘Yes’ with Desmond O’Neill

2026-08-18

Download

Desmond O'Neill, a former investigator and interrogator with decades of experience working in high-pressure environments, joins Don to explore the skills that can make us better communicators, leaders, coaches, and partners. Desmond shares what years of interviewing and negotiating have taught him about reading people, building rapport, asking better questions, and, perhaps most importantly, knowing when to stop talking and start listening. He explains why true rapport isn't simply being friendly, but understanding where...

Desmond shares what years of interviewing and negotiating have taught him about reading people, building rapport, asking better questions, and, perhaps most importantly, knowing when to stop talking and start listening. He explains why true rapport isn't simply being friendly, but understanding where another person is mentally and emotionally and meeting them there.

Don and Desmond also explore how these same skills translate directly to coaching. Whether you're working with an athlete, a client, a colleague, or a family member, understanding someone's headspace can completely change the way you approach a conversation. Don reflects on coaching dozens of different personalities in a single day and why situational awareness became one of the most important skills he developed.

-----------------------------