Chris Voss: You Can’t Have a Good Negotiation Without a Good Relationship

Most often my interviews focus on Networking. However, this conversation isn’t about networking per-say, rather how important relationship skills lend themselves to not just getting a job, making a sale or building a business. Today I sit with Chris Voss who helps us understand what Negotiations really are and how you can’t negotiate successfully without being able to establish a relationship first.  In fact, according to Chris, It’s the foundation of a good negotiation. While good business negotiation skills can mean life or death to a company, Chris' negotiations literally were life and death situations.

You see, Chris 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.   Chris is best known known world-wide as the author of the book “Never Split the difference”, which in my humble opinion is the best book on negotiating that I have read to date. I’ve probably read around 5 or 6 others. These days he is the CEO of The Black Swan Group where he helps business understand what it truly means to negotiate for success. During our conversation Chris helps us understand what a negotiation really is, the importance that listening makes, The “FM” DJ voice” and a variety of other “tells” people give when they go into a negotiation. I was really eager to have this conversation with Chris. Unfortunately, during our conversation there was a slight delay in Skype, so if it seems a bit awkward, I apologize and don’t want it to take away from Chris’ brilliance. So, without further ado, let’s get to my conversation with Chris Voss. Enjoy…

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