David sighed. He rubbed his temples. "I don't know. But we can't pay your current rate. The board will reject it."
Mark realized David was stuck in a corner. He needed Mark to help him get out of it. Mark decided to summarize the situation to trigger the two most powerful words in negotiation never split the difference by chris voss pdf
If you want a legal free version, check your local library (e.g., Libby/OverDrive) or search for authorized excerpts. For purchase, the audiobook (read by Voss himself) is highly recommended. David sighed
Mistakes to Avoid
Here’s the core content:
| Technique | How It Works | Example | |-----------|--------------|---------| | | Repeat last 1–3 words of what the other person just said (question tone). | Them: “I’m not sure we can meet that price.” You: “Not sure?” | | Labeling | Name their emotion neutrally. | “It seems like you’re worried about the timeline.” | | Calibrated Questions | Open-ended “how” or “what” questions (avoid “why”). | “How am I supposed to do that?” | | The Ackerman Model | Offer a specific, odd-numbered discount in decreasing increments (e.g., 65%, 85%, 95%, 100% of target price). | Set target $10k → offer $6.5k, then $8.5k, then $9.5k, final $10k. | | No-Oriented Questions | Force a “no” to make people feel safe/autonomous. | “Is now a bad time to talk?” (Better than “Do you have a few minutes?”) | But we can't pay your current rate