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The cover of Never Split the Difference

Never Split the Difference

Chris Voss, Tahl Raz, 2016

Hostage negotiation taught Chris Voss that emotion, not logic, drives every deal. His FBI tools, from mirroring to calibrated questions, work wherever life turns into a negotiation.

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10 parts, about 23 minutes to read.

Why read it

  • Teaches hostage negotiation tools such as mirroring, labeling feelings and calibrated questions, drawn from real kidnapping and crisis cases
  • Argues that a no is more useful than a yes and that the words That's right signal a real breakthrough
  • Rejects compromise for a bargaining model with shrinking raises and precise final numbers, and hunts for hidden facts called Black Swans

Who it is for

  • Professionals preparing for salary, contract or price talks
  • Managers who want to read emotions and defuse conflict
  • Readers who give in too quickly to avoid conflict

What the summary covers

  1. The New Rules3 min
  2. Be a Mirror2 min
  3. Don’t Feel Their Pain, Label It3 min
  4. Beware “Yes” Master “No”2 min
  5. Trigger “That’s Right”2 min
  6. Bend Their Reality2 min
  7. Create the Illusion of Control2 min
  8. Guarantee Execution2 min
  9. Bargain Hard2 min
  10. Find the Black Swan3 min

Recommended by

  • Adam GrantOrganizational psychologist and Wharton professor
    This book blew my mind. It’s a riveting read, full of instantly actionable advice-not just for high-stakes situations, but also for handling everyday conflicts at work and at home.
  • Daniel H. PinkAuthor of Drive and To Sell Is Human
    Chris Voss's NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE is a different kind of business book—one that emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence without sacrificing deal-making power.
  • Joe NavarroRetired FBI special agent and author
    Former FBI Hostage Negotiator Chris Voss has few equals when it comes to high-stakes negotiations. Whether for your business or your personal life, his techniques work.
  • Jason McCarthyCEO of GORUCK
    Your business, basically your entire life, comes down to your performance in crucial conversations, and these tools will give you the edge you need

About the authors

  • Chris VossFormer FBI hostage negotiator and CEO of The Black Swan Group
    • Born in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; earned a Bachelor of Science at Iowa State University and a Master of Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School.
    • Policed the streets of Kansas City before joining the FBI, where he became a hostage negotiator.
    • Served 24 years in the FBI and was trained in negotiation by the FBI, Scotland Yard and Harvard Law School.
    • Was the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator before 2008.
    • Was the lead negotiator on the 2006 Jill Carroll case in Iraq and the Steve Centanni case in the Gaza Strip.
    • After more than 150 international hostage cases he retired from the FBI in 2007 and founded The Black Swan Group.
    • Received the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement and the FBI Agents Association Award for Distinguished and Exemplary Service.
    • Has taught business negotiation as an adjunct professor at USC Marshall School of Business and Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.
  • Tahl RazBusiness journalist and coauthor of Never Split the Difference
    • Award winning journalist and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Never Eat Alone.
    • Coaches executives, lectures on the forces transforming the world of work and is an editorial consultant for several national firms.
    • His writing has appeared in Inc., GQ, Harvard Business Review and the Jerusalem Post.
    • Has served as a Chief Content Officer, led an online education company and founded a media house.
    • Lives in New York City.

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