The Business Method: Interviewing Billionaires, Billion Dollar Founders & the World’s Most Successful People 🎧🔥

chevron_right

Ep.542 ~ 1 Hour with The FBI’s Lead Hostage Negotiator ~ Chris Voss

whatshot 6 snips

Apr 13, 2022

Guest

Chris Voss

Chris Voss, former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator and author of "Never Split the Difference," shares gripping tales from his career and insights on negotiation. He reveals his journey from crisis negotiation to entrepreneurship and discusses the power of tactical empathy and mirroring in high-stakes situations. Voss emphasizes the strategic value of getting a "no" before a "yes" and introduces the concept of the 'Black Swan' in negotiations. His experiences highlight the critical role of emotional intelligence in achieving optimal outcomes.

01:00:04

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

insights

INSIGHT

Honesty in Hostage Negotiations

Honesty with family about hostage situations, even when outcomes are grim, builds trust.
Minimizing collateral damage becomes the realistic goal when situations seem hopeless.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Mirroring Reveals Hidden Truths

Mirroring is repeating the last three words the other person said, prompting them to share more.
In a Chase Manhattan bank robbery, mirroring helped reveal information leading to another robber's conviction.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Call Out Negatives First

Use tactical empathy by acknowledging the other side's negative thoughts outright.
Calling out negatives reduces resistance and opens dialogue effectively in negotiations.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Unlocking Entrepreneurial Potential Through Community and Adventure

02:05 • 2min

chevron_right

The Art of Negotiation: Journey of an FBI Hostage Negotiator

04:09 • 13min

chevron_right

Mastering Communication in High-Stakes Negotiations

16:48 • 32min

chevron_right

Understanding Personality Type Mismatches in Business

49:01 • 2min

chevron_right

Navigating Business Relationships

50:47 • 7min

chevron_right

Farewell and Entrepreneurial Adventures

58:00 • 2min

chevron_right

The Black Swan

The Impact of the Highly Improbable

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

David Chandler

Nassim Taleb

The Black Swan is a landmark book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb that investigates the phenomenon of highly improbable events with massive impacts. These events, termed Black Swans, are unpredictable, have a significant impact, and are rationalized after the fact to appear less random. Taleb argues that humans are hardwired to focus on specifics rather than generalities, leading to a failure to consider what we don’t know. The book delves into cognitive biases, the limitations of mathematical models, and the importance of robustness and antifragility in navigating a world filled with uncertainty. The second edition includes a new essay, 'On Robustness and Fragility,' offering tools to navigate and exploit a Black Swan world.

Never Split the Difference

Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

Tahl Raz

Chris Voss

VOSS/RAZ

This book, written by former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss and co-author Tahl Raz, provides a masterclass in influencing others through negotiation. It distills the Voss method, revealing skills such as establishing rapport, creating trust with tactical empathy, and transforming conflict into collaboration. The book is filled with real-life examples from Voss's career, illustrating how these techniques can be applied in both professional and personal life to achieve goals and defuse potential crises.

Start With No

The Ultimate Negotiation Guide

Chris Voss

Jim Camp

Tal Ras

Dans "Start With No", Jim Camp partage ses stratégies de négociation éprouvées, basées sur des années d'expérience dans le domaine des ventes. Il explique comment transformer un "non" initial en un accord favorable en utilisant des techniques de communication et de persuasion efficaces. L'ouvrage met l'accent sur l'importance de la préparation, de l'écoute active et de la compréhension des besoins de l'autre partie. Il propose des méthodes pour gérer les objections, construire des relations solides et obtenir des résultats positifs. Le livre est une ressource précieuse pour les professionnels souhaitant améliorer leurs compétences en négociation et en vente.

Beyond Winning

Negotiating to Create Value in Deals and Disputes

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

In 'Antifragile', Nassim Nicholas Taleb introduces the concept of antifragility, which goes beyond resilience or robustness. Antifragile systems thrive on volatility, randomness, and stressors, using them as sources of growth and improvement. Taleb contrasts antifragility with fragility, which is harmed by disorder, and robustness, which resists change. The book applies this concept to various domains, including economics, medicine, and personal development. Taleb argues that embracing uncertainty and allowing for controlled exposure to stressors can lead to greater adaptability and long-term success. 'Antifragile' offers a new perspective on risk management and decision-making in an unpredictable world.

Focus

The Future of Your Company Depends on It

Al Ries

In this book, Al Ries argues that the key to a company's continued growth and prosperity lies in focusing on core products and resisting the temptation to diversify into unrelated enterprises. Using real-world examples, Ries demonstrates how companies that maintain focus on their core strengths can dominate their markets, increase market share, and enhance shareholder value. He provides practical advice on how to get focused, stay focused, and adapt to changing market conditions while maintaining a clear strategic direction.

Typically, there are around 10,000 agents working in the FBI at any given period, but there is only one lead international kidnapping negotiator, and that is our guest today!

His name is Chris Voss and prior to 2008, Chris led kidnapping negotiations all around the world for the United States’ FBI. On top of that, Chris was the hostage negotiation representative for the National Security Council’s Hostage Working Group. During his government career, he also represented the U.S. at two international conferences sponsored by the G-8 as an expert in kidnapping. Prior to becoming the FBI’s lead kidnapping negotiator, Chris served as the lead Crisis Negotiator for the New York City Division of the FBI and, he has been a member of the city’s Joint Terrorist Task Force for 14 years.

After his 24 year tenure in the FBI Chris founded The Black Swan Group with his son Brandon helping corporations and businesses get the most optimal results at the negotiating table.

04:08 Who is Chris Voss?

06:27 When Did Chris Find His Passion In Negotiation?

07:51 How Chris Started To Volunteer In A Suicide Hotline

11:13 Most Intense International Negotiation Chris Encountered

14:39 How To Manage Sanity After Work

16:49 The Negotiating Concept of “Mirroring”

21:23 The Different Systems Of Thinking

26:35 What Is Tactical Empathy?

32:39 The Importance Of Getting A “No” Before a “Yes”

39:22 What is The Black Swan in Negotiations?

44:00 Question From Audience: Negotiating Cultural Differences With Ease

50:46 Question From Audience: What Something Chris Wished He Had Known Decades Ago