💡 Key Concepts

GUARANTEE EXECUTION

8 concepts to master

Calibrated Questions / Illusion of Control

Concept

Open-ended questions designed to give the other side the illusion of control, encourage thinking, remove aggression, and guide towards solutions, creating a perception that they are in charge while you guide the conversation.

How It Works

By asking questions that require the other party to think and provide answers, you shift the focus, gain information, and guide them towards solving your problems, while making them feel in control and heard. This encourages them to suggest solutions that align with your desired outcome.

Tactical Empathy / Active Listening / Forced Empathy / Understanding the Other Party's Perspective

Concept

Listening as a martial art, balancing emotional intelligence and influence to gain access to another person's mind and increase your influence. Encompasses actively focusing entirely on the other person, prioritizing their perspective, and creating situations where they are compelled to consider your needs, including understanding their worldview and values.

How It Works

By actively listening and demonstrating understanding, you build rapport, gain trust, elicit needs, anticipate actions, and persuade the other party by showing empathy, leading them to become less defensive and more open to your viewpoint. Use calibrated 'How' questions to prompt reciprocity and engage the other party. Understanding core beliefs builds rapport and allows for tailored solutions. Similarity increases rapport and facilitates trust. Tactical empathy uses labeled emotions to create a safe environment.

Team Behind the Counterpart / Level II Players

Concept

Recognizing and understanding the influence and dynamics of the team or individuals supporting your counterpart in a negotiation, including those not directly involved but who can influence or block implementation.

How It Works

Negotiation efforts must consider the stakeholders and influences impacting your counterpart to ensure that agreements are sustainable and not undermined by internal conflicts or hidden agendas. These "behind the table" players can affect outcomes by supporting or undermining agreements, so understanding their motivations and addressing their concerns is crucial for successful implementation.

Guarantee Execution / Ensuring Commitment and Discovering Hidden Information

Concept

Negotiation isn't just about reaching an agreement, but ensuring it's implemented successfully. Focuses on guaranteeing follow-through and uncovering critical hidden information.

How It Works

Dynamically design verbal and nonverbal elements to gain consent and ensure the other party follows through, understanding that the true value lies in the implementation of the agreement, not just the agreement itself. Execution guarantee involves detecting deception and setting clear expectations. Black Swan Discovery requires deep questioning and active listening.

Decision Architect / Strategic Communication and Influence

Concept

A negotiator must proactively shape the negotiation through communication. Employing specific communication techniques to influence the other party, including setting boundaries with 'no', gaining agreement to be heard, shaping their perception of fairness, and creating the perception of control.

How It Works

By carefully crafting the message of the negotiation, the negotiator can influence the other parties into agreement and action. 'No' clarifies wants and defines boundaries. Permission triggers receptiveness. Reality shaping presents information to shift understanding. Illusion of control uses questions to guide the conversation.

7-38-55 Percent Rule

Concept

A communication model suggesting that only 7% of a message is conveyed through words, 38% through tone of voice, and 55% through body language.

How It Works

By paying close attention to tone and body language, negotiators can identify inconsistencies with the spoken words, indicating potential deception or lack of conviction.

Rule of Three

Concept

Securing agreement on the same point three times in a conversation to ensure genuine commitment.

How It Works

Repeatedly confirming an agreement, using different phrasing and tactics, uncovers potential falsehoods or hesitations that might undermine implementation.

Pinocchio Effect

Concept

Liars tend to use more words, third-person pronouns, and complex sentences to distance themselves from the lie.

How It Works

Recognizing these linguistic patterns can help identify deception during negotiations.