FBI negotiator reveals secrets behind successful hostage talks
Chris Voss is a former FBI agent. He has had many serious conversations with criminals. Thanks to his emotional intelligence, he excelled in conducting these conversations as a negotiator. What techniques did he use?
Polina Marinova Pompliano referred to the figure of Chris Voss, an FBI negotiator with 24 years of experience, in her book. The author pointed out that the former agent mastered the art of emotional intelligence, which was incredibly useful in his work.
Pompliano mentioned how, in 1993, Voss acted as a negotiator, speaking over the phone with one of the robbers who held employees of the Chase Manhattan Bank hostage in Brooklyn, New York. Three specific actions he took are excellent examples of the behavior of a person with high emotional intelligence.
The FBI agent used them in his work as a negotiator. Three actions
Soothing voice
The first important factor during conversations with criminals in a threatening situation is the appropriate intonation of the voice: soothing and declarative. We should also lower the tone. All this will trigger a neurochemical reaction in the interlocutor's brain, calming them down.
"Mirroring"
The next action is the so-called mirroring. This is an effective technique to gather information and build relationships during the conversation.
"For instance, if a criminal who robbed a bank says, 'I had a really tough day because of all the stress I’m under,' respond with: 'What stress are you under?'" explains Polina Marinova Pompliano, referring to the methods of the former FBI agent.
Pay attention to the other party's emotions
The third indicator of emotional intelligence is the so-called labeling of emotions. Voss, during conversations with robbers, guided them to express their emotions by using sentences like "It wasn't your fault, was it?"; "You regret that this happened, don't you?".
One rule above all
The author of the book Hidden Genius pointed out that Chris Voss did something that most people cannot do: He truly listened to what the robbers had to say during negotiations with criminals.
As Polina Marinova Pompliano adds in the quoted excerpt of her book, posted on cnbc.com, the art of emotional intelligence can be useful in everyday life, for example, during an argument with a partner or in resolving a conflict with a co-worker.
