Mirror
Repeat one to three important words with a calm upward tone, then pause.
Them: "The deadline is impossible."
You: "Impossible?"
Negotiation Lab
Listen your way to a better deal.
A practical tool inspired by Chris Voss's negotiation principles in Never Split the Difference: calm the room, surface the real stakes, ask better questions, and make agreements people can execute.
Use these skills ethically. Negotiation is not manipulation; it is disciplined listening, clarity, and mutual reality-testing under pressure.
Core model
The negotiation is emotional before it is logical.
People rarely move because you have a better argument. They move when they feel understood, safe enough to say the truth, and responsible for solving the problem with you.
SlowLower the speed
Pressure creates defensiveness. Slow tone and pauses create thinking space.
HearMirror key words
Repeat the last meaningful phrase and let silence pull more information out.
NameLabel the feeling
"It sounds like timing is the biggest concern."
AskUse how and what
Make them help solve the obstacle.
TestVerify execution
Confirm owners, blockers, deadlines, and hidden stakeholders.
Tactical empathy
Make the other person feel accurately heard.
This is not agreement. It is a temporary map of their world so you can negotiate with reality instead of your assumptions.
Label
Name the emotion, worry, or value you hear. Start gently.
"It sounds like you are worried this will create extra work."
Summary
Paraphrase their position until they feel seen enough to correct or confirm it.
"So the issue is not price alone; it is risk, timing, and trust."
No-oriented asks
Let "no" create safety.
A forced yes can be fake. A clean no can reveal the real objection and give the other person a sense of control.
Instead of chasing yes
"Would it be a bad idea to look at one option that reduces your risk?"
Useful when the other person feels pressured.
When they go silent
"Have you decided not to move forward with this?"
Often easier to answer than another cheerful follow-up.
When trust is low
"Is this too risky to consider right now?"
Let them correct the risk instead of defending your offer.
When you need truth
"Is there something about this that does not work for you?"
Respectful no-space protects both sides from fake agreement.
Calibrated questions
Ask questions that make the problem shared.
Use "how" and "what" to reveal constraints, priorities, and hidden information. Avoid questions that sound like cross-examination.
Weak questionBetter questionWhat it revealsWhen to use
Can you do this?How would we make this work?Capacity, constraints, ownership.When execution is unclear.
Is the price okay?What about the price feels difficult?Budget, value, fear, comparison.When money stalls the deal.
Do you agree?What would need to be true for this to feel right?Missing conditions.When they are polite but hesitant.
Why not?What is the biggest obstacle from your side?The real blocker without blame.When resistance appears.
Execution and hidden information
A deal is not real until it can survive Monday.
Before you celebrate, check implementation. Who else matters? What could block this? What has not been said yet?
Rule of three
Get commitment in three different ways: agreement, next step, and practical confirmation.
- "Does that work?"
- "What happens next?"
- "Who needs to approve it?"
Behind the table
Ask who influences the decision, who can block execution, and whose concerns are invisible.
Black swan hunt
Look for unknown information that could change everything: a hidden deadline, fear, incentive, rule, or stakeholder.
Practice tool
Build your negotiation move.
Choose the situation, write the other person's concern, and draft a calmer move.
Your draft
Your mirror, label, and calibrated question will appear here.
Daily practice
6-minute negotiation workout
Train the response before the conversation gets hot.
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Source orientation: this module is an original Sucha practice tool inspired by the negotiation concepts summarized in Runn's chapter-by-chapter overview of Never Split the Difference.