Never Split the Difference

Tactical empathy - repeating without judgment to gain trust.

Empathy - understading counterpart, without necessarily agreeing. Harvard and FBI agree on this definition.

Decisions are made emotionally. Emotions are always involved.

You want repeat customers. A win-lose situation is not a repeat customer.

Tactics

• I’m sorry, Robert, how do I know he’s even alive? - apology and first name to seed warmth and prevent bulldozing.
• Employs FBI’s most potent negotiating tools: the open-ended question.