Negotiation Lessons from Brooklyn

In 1981, Time magazine stated: “If you are ever in a crucial life-changing negotiation, the person you want on your side of the table is Herb Cohen.” Cohen was then known as the world’s best negotiator, and had worked with Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes, and US presidents, and also penned the bestselling book You Can Negotiate Anything.

Fast forward to today, and his son, Rich Cohen, has written a memoir of his father’s life, and life philosophy, called The Adventures of Herbie Cohen: World’s Greatest Negotiator. Today on the show, Rich shares stories from Herbie’s life, from his colorful childhood on the streets of Brooklyn where he palled around in a gang with future famous figures like Larry King and Sandy Koufax, to coaching basketball in the Army, to becoming a sought-after strategist and dealmaker. Along the way, Rich shares the life lessons that grew out of those stories, including how power is perception, and why you need to care, but not that much.

Resources Related to the Podcast

• Larry King tells the Moppo story
• Larry King tells the Carvel story
• AoM Article: How to Haggle Like Your Old Man
• Podcast #234: Haggling and Deal Making Advice From a FBI Hostage Negotiator
• AoM podcast and article on the OODA Loop
• AoM Article: The 7 Habits — Think Win/Win
• Sunday Firesides: Care, But Don’t Care

Connect With Rich Cohen

• Rich’s Website
• Rich on Twitter