Chris Voss: FBI-Backed Tactics for Better Communication

Ever walked into a conversation and felt like you were on the losing end before it even started? Whether it’s a tough negotiation, a disagreement at home, or just trying to get someone to see your side, there’s a right and wrong way to do it—and Chris Voss is the guy to teach it. I’ve been a fan of Chris’s work for a long time, and getting to sit down with him was a masterclass in negotiation, tactical empathy, and human connection. Chris is a former FBI hostage negotiator, the author of Never Split the Difference, and the CEO of The Black Swan Group. His negotiation tactics aren’t just for high-stakes situations—they work everywhere. And in this episode, he breaks it all down for us. Buy Chris’s book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It https://www.blackswanltd.com/never-split-the-difference This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Upgrade Your Every Day. Get 40% off at cozyearth.com/jefferson or use code JEFFERSON at check out. Listeners will get an additional 5% off for orders placed March 14-16 in celebration of World Sleep Week using my code JEFFERSON. https://cozyearth.com/pages/jefferson Relationships come with questions, therapy comes with answers. Find them with my sponsor BetterHelp. Click https://betterhelp.com/jeffersonfisher for a discount on your first month of therapy. Like what you hear? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a 5-star review! Order my new book, The Next Conversation, today! https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/book Suggest a topic or ask a question for me to answer on the show! https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/topic Want a FREE communication tip each week? Click here to join my newsletter. https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/newsletter Join my School of Communication. https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/membership Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jefferson_fisher Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@justaskjefferson?lang=en Follow me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonfisher/

Jefferson FisherhostChris Vossguest

Mar 11, 202540mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: March 11, 2025
Duration: 40m
Channel: The Jefferson Fisher Podcast
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Ever walked into a conversation and felt like you were on the losing end before it even started? Whether it’s a tough negotiation, a disagreement at home, or just trying to get someone to see your side, there’s a right and wrong way to do it—and Chris Voss is the guy to teach it. I’ve been a fan of Chris’s work for a long time, and getting to sit down with him was a masterclass in negotiation, tactical empathy, and human connection. Chris is a former FBI hostage negotiator, the author of Never Split the Difference, and the CEO of The Black Swan Group. His negotiation tactics aren’t just for high-stakes situations—they work everywhere. And in this episode, he breaks it all down for us. Buy Chris’s book, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It https://www.blackswanltd.com/never-split-the-difference This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Upgrade Your Every Day. Get 40% off at cozyearth.com/jefferson or use code JEFFERSON at check out. Listeners will get an additional 5% off for orders placed March 14-16 in celebration of World Sleep Week using my code JEFFERSON. https://cozyearth.com/pages/jefferson Relationships come with questions, therapy comes with answers. Find them with my sponsor BetterHelp. Click https://betterhelp.com/jeffersonfisher for a discount on your first month of therapy. Like what you hear? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a 5-star review! Order my new book, The Next Conversation, today! https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/book Suggest a topic or ask a question for me to answer on the show! https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/topic Want a FREE communication tip each week? Click here to join my newsletter. https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/newsletter Join my School of Communication. https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/membership Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jefferson_fisher Follow me on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@justaskjefferson?lang=en Follow me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonfisher/

SPEAKERS

Jefferson Fisher
host
Podcast host focused on practical communication and conversation skills.
Chris Voss
guest
Former FBI hostage negotiator and author known for negotiation and tactical empathy tactics.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of The Jefferson Fisher Podcast, featuring Jefferson Fisher and Chris Voss, Chris Voss: FBI-Backed Tactics for Better Communication explores chris Voss reveals negotiation language tools that disarm resistance quickly Voss argues that negotiation anxiety often comes from fear-driven “voices” (the amygdala), and better outcomes require distinguishing fear from intuition or “gut” signals.

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