Never Split the Difference

In Never Split the Difference, author Chris Voss explains his finely honed strategies for succeeding in negotiations of all types. The strategies were developed in the FBI's crisis negotiation team.

At a high level, Voss's strategy relies on human emotion rather than logical progression. It relies on open-ended questions to get the adversary to spill their opinions and eventually the cards they are holding.

Voss provided a 4-step model for defusing tension and setting yourself up for success:

• Use the late night DJ voice
• Start with I'm sorry
• Mirror
• Silence

He also provided a 6-step plan for winning any negotiation:

• Set a target price
• Establish anchor at 65% of target
• Use decreasing increments
• Use tactical empathy to force a counteroffer
• Throw out a precise, non-round number
• Include a final nonmonetary item

These steps have helped Voss out of hostage situations and they've subsequently been found to work in most negotiation situations.