Never Split the Difference
by Chris Voss, Tahl Raz · first published 2016
77% recommend19% neutral4% critical
Why HN recommends it
Practical negotiation techniques from a former FBI hostage negotiator, like asking questions that get the other side to solve your problem. Suits engineers, founders and team leads in salary talks, sales and conflict.
Common criticism: Some find it padded, gimmicky or little beyond common sense
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"A negotiation guide from a former FBI Hostage Negotiator"-- "Never Split The Difference is a riveting, indispensable handbook of negotiation principles culled and perfected from Chris Voss's remarkable career as a hostage negotiator and later as an award-winning teacher in the world's most prestigious business schools. From policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, to becoming the FBI's lead international kidnapping negotiator, to teaching negotiation at leading universities, Voss has tested these techniques across the full spectrum of human endeavor and proved their effectiveness
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Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
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Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. This relatively short book has made more of a difference to my personal livelihood than maybe any other pice of literature or advice. You really don’t realize how much negotiating you…
on “Ask HN: What is the best money you have spent on professional development?” ↗…others said back to them is called “mirroring” and is an effective technique for not only confirming your understanding but also showing others that you are actively listening. I recommend reading “ Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It” by Chris Voss if you are interested in conversation tactics.
on “Repeat Yourself, a Lot” ↗The best two books for engineers are 1) “How to win friends and influence people” 2) “Never split the difference” The first one will teach you how to work with people. The second will teach you how to negotiate salaries, raises, and promotions among other things. I don’t recommend many technical books because…
on “Ask HN: What is one book you would recommend everyone to read?” ↗I’m going to pay forward a book rec found via a Hacker News comment: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. It’s mostly tactics on how to negotiate well, and one piece of advice I’ve adopted is to start my questions with “what” or “how”, not “why”. “Why” comes across as interrogative; forcing…
on “Questioning vs. Asking” ↗…(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep) * Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4806.Longitude) * Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26156469-never-split-the...) * Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25852784-evicted)…
on “Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?” ↗This advice is also part of the book "Never split the difference" by Christopher Voss, a highly recommended book for anyone looking to improve their negotiation skills.
on “When negotiating a price, never bid with a round number (2016)” ↗…agree with the basic premise! Learn the skill of lifting heavy things and running farther than you’re willing to walk. I’d add to presentation skills: negotiation skills. I’ll recommend Chris Voss’ book “Never Split the Difference” as I have been to all my relatives this Christmas.
on “Ask HN: What skills to acquire in 2019?” ↗This probably isn't the immediate answer you're looking for, but I've found a lot of value in a book called Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss (no affiliation, just loved the book.) It provides practical guidance on the subject of negotiation. However, in reading it you'll find that a lot of these rules of negotiation apply to…
on “Ask HN: Coping when your client is an asshole?” ↗Never Split the Difference - a negotiation book by famous hostage negotiator. It's so immediately useful and practical, my entire team used it to collect massive amount of debts and enact other business changes. It was invaluable,…
on “Ask HN: Which book or course gave you an unfair advantage?” ↗I'd recommend _Never Split The Difference_, by former Chief FBI Hostage Negotiator Chris Voss. Very fun read and widely applicable. Spoiler: His advice is not to strong-arm, but to build trust with your counterpart.
…audit prior to making your case is an extremely useful way of neutralizing the negative and getting your counterpart to open up to your ideas. I highly suggest reading Chris Voss' take on this topic in Never Split the Difference.
on “Sam Altman’s Worldcoin promised them free crypto for an eyeball scan” ↗…salary negotiation. Try Negotiating Your Salary by Jack Chapman. Fakespot says that Fearless Salary Negotiation by Doody is loaded with fake amazon reviews, so I might give that one a miss. And, read "Never Split the Difference" by Voss.
on “Ask HN: What should I do to prepare for a meeting about my annual raise?” ↗1) Never Split the Difference Really, this book changed how I view communication and negotiation forever. It will definitely impact your life positively. 2) The Lean Startup A classic, but worth re-reading. Everytime I read the…
on “Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?” ↗>Is there a way for people to learn to be good negotiators? Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss is the best book on negotiation I’ve ever read, and it’s also pretty entertaining. I negotiate a lot at work, and that book helped me quite a bit. The negotiation style he advocates, aside…
on “Auto Dealers, Startups Try Amazon-Style Ordering for Cars” ↗On your last point, you might be interested in reading Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. The author would advise you to ask a negative question in your email such as "have you given up on this project?" People don't like to say no and it often…
on “How to get every email returned” ↗