In this episode, Dan is speaking with Gary Noesner, former Chief of the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit, on the similarities and differences between hostage negotiations and sales negotiations.
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In episode 10 of Sales Enabled, Dan is Speaking with Gary Noesner, former Chief of the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit, Critical Incident Response Group and author of the book Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator which has been used as the basis for tv shows and documentaries on the Waco siege of 1993.
In the conversation, Gary shares some of his insights into the similarities and differences between hostage negotiation and sales negotiation, and teaches us through both specific techniques and by telling stories of situations he has experienced as an FBI negotiator, how we as salespeople can become more effective at negotiating our own deals.
Gary created the Behavioural Change Stairway Model that the FBI uses to structure their negotiation conversations, and takes us through some of the specific techniques he has used to build empathy and rapport with hostage takers so that he can eventually bring the situation around to his agenda and begin the behaviour change process.
Some of the specifics from this episode include:
- The key differences between hostage negotiations and sales negotiations
- Why we need demonstrate empathy and build rapport BEFORE you try to bring people to your way of thinking
- What are the fundamentals of Negotiation and what do I learn on Day 1 at Negotiator school
- How to establish credibility and get the other person to solicit your opinion
- How to maintain your composure in the heat of a negotiation
- What are the training drills you go through in Negotiator training
- Some of the listening techniques that will get your prospect talking more about themselves
After this episode, you will never look at sales negotiations in the same way again, as the perspective Gary brings and how that contrasts to hostage negotiations makes our job seem a whole lot easier. If we combine the negotiation skills Gary shares with the mindset and mentality that only comes from a 30 year career as an investigator, instructor, and negotiator, we will all be far better negotiators.
About Gary Noesner
Gary Noesner retired from the FBI in 2003 following a 30 year career as an investigator, instructor, and negotiator. A significant focus of his career was directed toward investigating Middle East hijackings in which American citizens were victimized. In addition, he was an FBI hostage negotiator for 23 years of his career, retiring as the Chief of the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit, Critical Incident Response Group, the first person to hold that position. In that capacity he was heavily involved in numerous crisis incidents covering prison riots, right-wing militia standoffs, religious zealot sieges, terrorist embassy takeovers, airplane hijackings, and over 120 overseas kidnapping cases involving American citizens.
Gary has written a book about his FBI negotiation career which was published by Penguin Random House in 2010, entitled: Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator. The book is being used in part as the basis for a six part mini-series on Waco that aired on the Paramount Network on January 24, 2018.
You can find out more about Gary Noesner and the work he does at his website – https://www.garynoesner.com/.
