How to Get What You Want: Tips from an FBI Hostage Negotiator

Professional headshot of Chris Voss

Chris Voss knows a thing or two about high-stakes negotiations.  The former Lead International Kidnapping Negotiator for the FBI, Chris worked 150 kidnappings worldwide over his 24-year-long career at the Bureau.

You may wonder what managing a bank-robbery-turned-hostage-crisis situation has in common with negotiating for a raise or convincing your friend to try that new restaurant that won’t take reservations across town, but it turns out there are universal tactics you can use to sway any decision in your favor.

Harvard Business School produced a new video featuring Chris to review the basics:

  1. Be patient. It is essential to slow down and let things come to you.
  2. Collaborate. Negotiation is a group effort, even if the other person does not act like it. 
  3. Plan. Make and plan, stick to it, and do not let yourself be rattled by changes.
  4. Use a trigger question. Start the negotiation with a big, open-ended question.
  5. Listen! Be respectful and hear what they have to say.


Follow these tips to become an expert negotiator like Chris. To find out more about Chris’s availability and fees, please fill out the form below.

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