Lewis Howes is a New York Times best-selling author, 2x All-American athlete, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur. The School of Greatness shares inspiring interviews from the most successful people on the planet—world-renowned leaders in business, entertainment, sports, science, health, and literature—to inspire YOU to unlock your inner greatness and live your best life.

902 Master the Art of Negotiating in Business and Life with Former FBI Agent Chris Voss

January 15, 2020 01:26:52 83.4 MB Downloads: 0

There's a way to always get what you want.

And it doesn't mean you need to be a tyrant. The art of negotiating is what each of us can learn in order to consistently and confidently get people on our side. 

To learn this art, I brought back a super popular guest from a few years ago, former FBI negotiator Chris Voss. Since our first interview, he has only grown in popularity, and I knew he'd have new insights about how to use the art of negotiation in business and life.

Chris is not just a teacher and an author.

During Chris’s 24 year tenure in the FBI, he was trained in the art of negotiation by not only the FBI but Scotland Yard and Harvard Law School. He has used his many years of experience in international crisis and high-stakes negotiations to develop a unique program and team that applies these globally proven techniques to the business world. Now he runs a top consulting company and teaches negotiation to graduate students at universities like Harvard and Georgetown.

In this conversation, we discussed several ways you can negotiate in your day to day life, including getting discounts on anything you buy, closing huge business deals, and walking away from deals and relationships that will never work out. I can't wait for you to hear what Chris has to teach in Episode 902.

  • How can we navigate emotional issues without getting too emotional about it? (2:40)
  • How often did you fall backwards as an FBI negotiator and get reactive? (8:06)
  • What are the biggest findings you learned about negotiation since your book came out? (16:47)
  • What are the most common negotiations that anyone goes through on a daily basis? (29:04)
  • How can you not take criticism personally? (49:48)
  • How important is intention before you begin a negotiation? (57:02)
  • How do you handle a negotiation that has gone south so that you don’t burn a bridge? (1:03:04)
  • What hostage negotiation tactics do you use on a daily basis? (1:06:30)
  • What’s the best approach for someone who wants to buy something? (1:08:14)


  • How you can learn to not get defensive when triggered (5:44)
  • Tools to use when making a deal in business (13:02)
  • Why asking “why” questions makes people defensive (21:40)
  • Ways to negotiate client deals if you are just starting out in your career (27:25)
  • The formula to get people to do things for you because they feel like it (31:48)
  • How to be a great sounding board for someone to work through their feelings (40:35)
  • A role-playing exercise you can do with a friend to practice negotiation (51:51)
  • Plus much more...


If you enjoyed this episode, check out the video, show notes and more at http://www.lewishowes.com/902 and follow at instagram.com/lewishowes

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