Effective negotiation skills are vital for lawyers in the fast-paced, high-stress environment of the law.
At this year’s Clio Cloud Conference, Chris Voss, CEO of the Black Swan Group, delivered an enthralling keynote speech titled “Tactical Empathy : Negotiation Secrets from an FBI Negotiator”. We got to sit down with Chris to learn more about his philosophy and what advice he’d give to lawyers and legal professionals. While Chris’s expertise lies in hostage situations, his advice holds significant relevance for lawyers seeking to improve their negotiation techniques.
Here’s more from Chris.
Listen to Understand
A number of the negotiation tips in Chris’s bestselling book, Never Split the difference, Listening carefully to the other person is important. And this makes sense: Listening well is something we’re taught starting in grade school. But, as adults—and particularly as legal professionals taught to focus on formulating strong legal arguments—many of us miss the memo. Why?
According to Chris, it’s because there’s a misconception about what it means to truly listen to understand. “Stephen Covey’s You can also read our article about how to get started. is ‘seek first to understand, then to be understood.’ And that’s…
