Sunday - February 16th, 2025
Apple News
×

What can we help you find?

Open Menu
September 13th, 2016

Episode 157 – Negotiation Techniques from a former FBI Hostage Negotiator

  1. Episode 157 - Negotiation Techniques from a former FBI Hostage Negotiator Kurt Mortensen 32:41

Labels

 

Let’s explore the space between offer and acceptance – the space between “yes” and “no” is labels.

 

“It seems like…” “It sounds like…” “It looks like…”  (Followed by an effective pause.)

 

 

It’s critical to not “step” on your label by following it with a question or some sort of an explanation. You’ve got to let them sink in.

 

“It seems like there’s some flexibility in this package?”

 

“It sounds like there’s more here?”

 

“It seems like you have some ranges in mind?”

 

“It looks like you’ve used certain criteria to come up with this offer?”

 

Labels are a great way to gather more information and to test positions.  They do it in a way that doesn’t make people feel backed into a corner. They’re effective in place of questions where basically you’d normally be looking for just a “yes” or a “no” and they always get more information. They open up dialog in a really gentle, yet quietly firm way.

 

Salary negotiations are particularly important because as I’ve said before, people are testing you as both a co-worker and an ambassador. They really don’t want you to be a push-over and they don’t want you to be a jerk. Salary negotiations shouldn’t be limited to just salary. Salary pays your mortgage but terms build your career.

 

“It seems like there’s a bigger picture here for this position?”

 

“It looks like your company has a future vision I fit into.”

 

“It seems like this position fits a broader need within the company.”

 

“It looks like there’s some built in opportunities for professional development?”

 

“It looks like this position fits a critical need.”

 

These labels can also be expressed as statements or questions (upward inflection – question; downward inflection – statement).

 

Employers appreciate someone with insight who “gets it”. Labels are a great way to demonstrate competence and insight. Both of these are characteristics that either merit a higher offer now, or position you for one down the line.

 

Please remember, plan for your success with good terms within the overall package that build your career. Labels help you flesh that out and build the success of both your career and your employer!

Kurt W. Mortensen is an international authority on charisma, negotiation, and building your social influence. Kurt has spent over 20 years researching influence, leadership, sales, persuasive presentations, and he teaches on the university level.

Kurt is the author of Persuasion IQ, Laws of Charisma, and the best-selling book Maximum Influence. His books have been translated into 28 languages. He is also the host of the popular podcast Maximize Your Influence.

Over the years, Kurt has taught hundreds of seminars and workshops worldwide. (Over 20 Countries) He has discovered most people have a great desire to succeed but many times fall short of their goals. Mortensen teaches that professional success, personal relationships, and leadership all depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others. The key is to get others to want to do, what you want them to do and like doing it.

Contributors

Show More

Keep Up To Date With Our Latest Baby Boomer News & Offers!

Sign Up for Our FREE Newsletter

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.