Chris is the author of Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It and the Founder/CEO of the Black Swan Group. A 24-year veteran of the FBI, he retired as their lead international kidnapping negotiator. His company solves business communication problems with hostage negotiation solutions.

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Resources Mentioned:

• Audible – Get a FREE Audiobook & 30 day trial if you’re not currently a member!
• Hubspot – Chris’ business resource
• Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It – Chris’ book
• The Black Swan Group – Chris’ website
• The Freedom Journal – Set and Accomplish your #1 goal in 100 days!

3 Key Points:

1. No deal is better than a bad deal.
2. Never say YES if you haven’t ironed out the HOW.
3. When it comes to negotiating, don’t obsess over dollars and cents.

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Time Stamped Show Notes

(click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.)

• [01:09] – Lived in New York for 14 years and now teaches business negotiation
• [01:48] – Value Bomb Drop: Stop trying to get people to say yes, get people to say no
• [03:00] – What is something you’ve changed your mind about in the last 6 months? Learning lessons the hard way
• [04:01] – Worst Entrepreneurial Moment: I was over-confident and a lucrative contract became 3 years of pain
• [05:38] – Take yourself hostage in every business deal, if you don’t, you’ll never figure out how to make the deal on YOUR terms
• [05:51] – No deal is better than a bad deal and a YES is nothing without a HOW
• [06:40] – Entrepreneurial AH–HA Moment: Being a tough negotiator and maximizing your dollars generally don’t mesh well
  • [08:26] – Tactical empathy
  • [08:41] – Chris’ application of tactical empathy outside Harvard
  • [09:28] – Donald Trump is the trump
• [10:08] – What is your biggest weakness as an entrepreneur? My ability to project holds me back
• [11:30] – What is your biggest strength? My credibility
• [12:11] – What is the one thing you are most FIRED up about today? Spreading the Black Swan gospel
• [15:20] – The Lightning Round
  • What was holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur? – “The government turning me loose”
  • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – “Have zero expectations”
  • What’s the personal habit that contributes to your success? “Relentlessness and the desire to just go after it”
  • Share an internet resource, like Evernote, with Fire Nation – Hubspot
• 17:58 – Chris’ website
• [18:30] – Parting piece of guidance: “Stay true to who you are”

Killer Resources!

1) The Freedom Journal: Accomplish your #1 goal in 100 days!

2) The Mastery Journal: Master productivity, discipline and focus in 100 days!

3) Free Podcast Course​: Create, Grow and monetize YOUR Podcast!

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