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Every powerful human in this running world is a pro negotiator.
From negotiating on how much salary you want to how to get kids from switching from candies to veggies – there is negotiation everywhere.
Become A Negotiator!
But unlike most movies teach you, negotiation is not just about being persistent about what you want. It has depth and has a lot of things attached to it, just to get what you want.
If you’re looking for where to learn the art of negotiation, you have come to the right place. 😊😊
Who better to explain than a pro-FBI negotiator who dealt with hostage situations, and now runs a complex business negotiation company? Yes, we are talking about Chris Voss’s MasterClass. But is this class worth your time? Read to find out.
Who is Chris Voss?
Chris Voss is an ex- FBI hostage negotiator, an academic, and an entrepreneur. He has worked with the FBI for over two and a half decades and has dealt with complex situations like international kidnappings and dangerous situations.
He is the CEO of Black Swan Group that is a consulting firm of choice for Fortune 500 companies serving expertise in complex business negotiations. Chris Voss is a recognized leading world expert on high-stakes negotiation. He has also been featured in multiple publications like CNBC, NYT, and Inc.
He also authored the best-selling negotiation manual “Never Split the Difference”, which is critically acclaimed around the world, with a 4.3 rating on Goodreads. 😍
He had previously taught negotiations at elite universities including Harvard, The Goethe School of Business in Frankfurt, and the Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. He was also a member of New York’s Joint Terrorist Task Force for over a decade.
Lessons By Chris Voss
Chris’s classes are divided and coursed into 18 lessons, which adds up to 3 hours and 4 minutes. In his lessons, he has carefully tailored the experiences of negotiation one after the other.
He starts with how everybody needs a little negotiation in class and moves ahead to teach empathy, understanding the other party while also taking the students through mock exercises.
Here is Chris Voss’s course curriculum:
- Tactical Empathy
- Mirroring
- Labeling
- Exercise: Mirroring and Labeling
- Mastering Delivery
- Case Study: Chase Manhattan Bank Robbery
- Body Language & Speech Patterns
- Creating the Illusion of Control
- Mock Negotiation: Teenager
- The Accusations Audit
- The Value of “No”
- Mock Negotiation: Rival
- Bending Reality
- Bargaining
- Mock Negotiation: Salary
- Black Swans
- Mock Negotiation: “60 Seconds or She Dies”
- The Power of Negotiation
#5 Key Benefits of Chris Voss MasterClass
1. Learning how to use your tone in negotiations: Chris teaches that the tone in which somebody communicates determines whether the conversation is positive or negative. He explains further by displaying three different tones while giving the same information and differentiates how each tone has a different impact.
2. Role of body language: Chris says that body language has a huge role in the process of negotiation, and focusing on the other party’s body is advantageous. He explains the “7/38/55 rule” in-depth to understand not ‘what someone says’ but ‘how someone says it’.
3. Yes and No: When to say and when not to: Chris explains how valuable and powerful the word ‘No’ is. He explains how persuasion can mislead to a ‘yes’, and he explains how to get out of situations like that, along with explaining clearly on how to change the tone of the conversation to get what you want.
4. Learning when someone is lying: Every negotiator should be able to spot when the person is lying, Chris, says, and demonstrates how to tell when someone’s not telling the truth. He explains how simple movements of their body, like the way their eyes flare, and how they change the position of their seating, and focusing can easily give away their lies. 😇
5. Not backing down is not the best tactic for negotiation: Voss also mentions how ‘tactical empathy’ is the key to the right negotiation, as it is impossible to have the upper hand in every scenario. He explains this further as he takes viewers through a case study of a terrorist kidnapping in Iraq, and how empathy worked in the case.
Pros and Cons
👍 Pros
Production: Chris’s classes have an impeccable production value that only adds to the viewer’s intense interest throughout the class. The captivating production lets viewers immerse themselves in the art of negotiation. 😚
Case studies, mock negotiations: Chris’s case studies include real-life original audio clippings of negotiations that take the viewers through a real-life experience of negotiations, while also putting their newly learned knowledge to the test.
Watch anywhere: Viewers can watch the classes anywhere at any time, as the classes can be downloaded or can be switched to audio mode only for the go!
Situations: Chris handles multiple situations in his class – from how to handle a hostage situation to how to convince a teenager without hurting their feelings. The versatility of the class is a prime advantage as it caters to every person watching.
👎 Cons
Repetitive: Viewers have taken to social media to complain that most of the information that Chris teaches during his class is mostly available in his book, “Never Split the Difference”. Viewers who expect to learn more from the industry expert, this class will slightly disappoint you.
Short classes: The major drawback with Chris’s class is that his storytelling skills will keep wanting the viewers to come back for more. However, the total time of the classes sums up to only 3 hours, which is way less time for any in-depth learning. Yes, the workbooks are helpful, but having longer classes would have been a major advantage as well.
What is Included in Chris Voss MasterClass?
Chris Voss has decades of experience as a communicator and negotiator, and he intends to bring all his experience to his classes. He covers sensitive topics like empathy development, prioritizing, and the neuroscience of negotiations. 😉
In his class, he also teaches how to develop a persuasive voice tone, build the perfect body language, and decode the other person’s speech pattern and body language to understand them better. He also teaches exclusively about finding Black Swans, that can be used in negotiations and use them for your advantage.
He also includes case studies and mock exercises to demonstrate his teachings and lets his students go through the journey of negotiations themselves. He also has recordings that are original of different mock negotiations. This is for the viewers to understand how both parties respond to a situation.
Is This MasterClass Worth The Money?
Chris Voss is not just an excellent FBI hostage negotiator but is also an excellent storyteller. His skills and experience are what make the class the most interesting, despite the amazing, packed course structure. He teaches about several tactics that one would have not seen or heard of from an expert before.
His mock negotiations and case studies hand in a real-life experience from close quarters – helping the viewers dive deeper into the subject. He also has original audio clippings from some of his negotiations, like from when he negotiates with a teenager, and how he manages to negotiate his salary.
His class is one of a kind, it’s hands-on, and the team behind the class has put in a lot of effort into the classes for them to be the best only for the students. This makes the classes completely worth the money.
It is also worthwhile to mention that the annual charge for MasterClass is only $180, which is $0.49 a day. For this price, viewers get the best lessons from some of the world’s experts.
Conclusion – Final Verdict
If you’re looking for a class on negotiation that teaches you how to master the skill while also benefitting both parties, Chris Voss’s MasterClasses are the perfect choice for you.
From negotiating as a parent to negotiating as an employee – Chris has something in store for every demographic, and his experience and industry experience is only a cherry on top.
Except if you are okay with classes being short, our verdict is, you will not lose your time, money, or interest if you sign up for this class. It is completely worth it.
FAQs 🤔
Chris Voss’s MasterClass is for anybody who wants to become good at tactical tools, negotiating and understanding the skills and mastering them to master the art of negotiation. If you are a salesman, a student who feels underwhelmed in class, or an employee, this class is right for you as it teaches you the skills that will improve communication.
Chris Voss’s MasterClass covers how to master negotiation and compromise to benefit both parties on a personal and professional level. His classes are tailored towards giving his students excellent advice. As per our review, his class is completely worth your time and interest.
All MasterClasses, along with Chris Voss’s, can be viewed through an all-access pass. that costs $180 annually. With the pass, viewers can access all other classes on the MasterClass platform, from experts from different fields.
The Chris Voss MasterClass comes with 18 video lessons that add up to 3 hours and 4 minutes.
You can cancel your MasterClass subscription by support at support@MasterClass.com or else, you can go to Settings in your account, select Cancel under Subscription box and cancel your subscription.
To join Chris Voss’s MasterClass, you will have to choose an annual plan, and fill in the required details. Once the payment method is set up, you can choose from any MasterClasses you want – like learning Conservation from Jane Goodall, cooking from Gordon Ramsay, or Fashion from Marc Jacobs.
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