FBI Negotiator Reveals How People Are Really Manipulated... | A Stern Talk | Chris Voss
Published on Oct 6, 2026, 10:06:00 AM
Total time: 01:44:11
Published on Oct 6, 2026, 10:06:00 AM
Total time: 01:44:11
💸 Fund your Business in 5 minutes - https://cardiff.co/stern
What if the key to winning a negotiation isn't talking more but making the other person feel understood?
In this episode of A Stern Talk, William Stern sits down with Chris Voss, former FBI hostage negotiator and founder of The Black Swan Group, to discuss tactical empathy, curiosity, high-stakes negotiations, business, leadership, parenting, entrepreneurship, and the psychology behind human behavior.
Chris shares lessons from his FBI career involving kidnappings, bank robberies, and hostage negotiations, and explains why great negotiation is a performance skill that has to be practiced. He breaks down how your tone of voice can change a conversation, why removing yourself as a threat can completely shift a negotiation, and how to identify who actually holds power at the table.
William and Chris also get into business, marriage, parenting, leadership, discipline, entrepreneurship, AI, and the importance of high standards with high support.
📣 Connect with us: William Stern: https://instagram.com/justwilliamstern Chris Voss: https://www.instagram.com/thefbinegotiator/ https://www.blackswanltd.com/
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN 🔥 Why curiosity can be more powerful than confrontation 🧠 How tactical empathy changes difficult conversations 💡 Why your tone of voice can change a negotiation ⚠️ How to identify who actually has influence at the table 🤝 Why great negotiators focus on collaboration instead of simply winning 📈 Why negotiation requires constant practice and coaching 🎯 How “forced empathy” makes the other side think through your problem 🚀 Why Chris Voss left the FBI and became an entrepreneur
ABOUT CHRIS VOSS Chris Voss is a former FBI lead kidnapping negotiator, bestselling author of Never Split The Difference, and founder and CEO of The Black Swan Group; a negotiation, training, coaching, and consulting organization that teaches people how to achieve better outcomes in high-stakes conversations.
Recognized globally as a leading authority on negotiation, Chris developed his approach through decades of experience in crisis negotiation. Today, he and The Black Swan Group apply those principles to business, sales, leadership, difficult conversations, and high-stakes communication through The Black Swan Method® and Tactical Empathy®.
Never Split The Difference has introduced millions of readers around the world to Chris's negotiation methodology. Through The Black Swan Group, Chris and his team help people go beyond understanding the concepts in the book and develop negotiation as a practical, repeatable performance skill through training, coaching, practice, and live experiences.
The Black Swan Group offers in-person negotiation training, live and self-paced online negotiation training, coaching, keynote speaking, and advanced negotiation experiences for business owners, leaders, sales professionals, and other professionals who want to become more effective dealmakers.
Learn from Chris Voss and The Black Swan Group: Negotiation training and resources: https://www.blackswanltd.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm=campaign=asterntalk
In-person and live training: https://www.blackswanltd.com/live-events?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=asterntalk
Online negotiation training: https://www.blackswanltd.com/online-negotiation-classes?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=asterntalk
A STERN TALK PODCAST - Presented by Cardiff
🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, and thought leaders.
CHAPTERS 0:00 The Real Evil Behind Extremism 2:49 “Be Curious, Not Furious” 7:27 How Your Voice Changes a Negotiation 9:52 Negotiating Across Cultures 14:18 How Chris Voss Starts a Negotiation 19:32 Inside an FBI Hostage Negotiation 23:02 How to Negotiate With Powerful People 26:42 How Chris Identified the Real Kidnapper 33:27 Can Negotiation Save a Relationship? 36:04 Why Negotiation Is a Skill You Can Lose 39:10 Why Lawyers Understand Negotiation 41:59 The Best Way to Learn Any Skill 46:16 Why Failure Is Part of Success 49:32 Tactical Empathy in Business 52:01 The Human Need More Powerful Than Survival 55:04 Chris Voss Explains “Forced Empathy” 59:36 Parenting, Discipline & Raising Strong Kids 1:02:54 Why Chris Voss Left the FBI 1:07:20 Negotiating Your Career & Getting Ahead 1:11:22 The Values That Shaped Chris Voss 1:15:41 How Chris Raised His Son 1:25:24 Government vs. The Private Sector 1:28:01 Why Gratitude Makes You a Better Negotiator 1:33:23 The Art of Influence Without Manipulation 1:42:28 Why Negotiation Matters Even More in the AI Era
What’s the biggest negotiation lesson you took from Chris Voss? Drop your answer below. 👇
'A Stern Talk' explores the people, ideas, and institutions shaping the future. Through conversations with CEOs, founders, investors, intelligence professionals, journalists, athletes, and thought leaders, William Stern goes beyond headlines to uncover how business, geopolitics, technology, media, and power really work.