Derek Gaunt is a Negotiations Trainer and Coach at The Black Swan Group, a consulting firm specializing in negotiation strategies rooted in hostage negotiation principles. With 29 years of law enforcement experience, including 20 years leading hostage negotiation teams in the Washington, DC, area, he has trained organizations globally on applying hostage negotiation principles to business and leadership. Derek is also the author of Ego, Authority, Failure©.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [0:00] Derek Gaunt on hostage negotiation and leadership training
- [5:15] Negotiating with a toddler versus a hostage taker: why emotions dictate responses
- [8:15] How to approach negotiations during business meetings
- [14:10] The problem with negotiating through email — and how to transition to voice or face-to-face conversations
- [21:18] Strategies for identifying manipulation and uncovering hidden motives
- [26:16] What is the role of the amygdala in difficult conversations and emotional responses?
- [44:41] Why “yes-oriented” questions create more resistance
- [51:45] Derek talks about making an irrefutable sales offer
- [59:51] Two crucial considerations for business negotiations
In this episode…
Closing deals and winning negotiations can feel like an uphill battle, especially when clients are hesitant, defensive, or unresponsive. Many business professionals unknowingly create resistance by using the wrong approach, like pushing for a “yes” too soon, failing to address unspoken objections, or relying on email instead of in-person communication. How can you use proven negotiation techniques to turn difficult conversations into fruitful deals?
According to former hostage negotiator Derek Gaunt, business professionals can close more deals by applying hostage negotiation techniques to their pitches. He advises beginning with an “accusations audit,” which acknowledges potential objections up front to reduce resistance from prospects. Rather than trying to secure the deal too soon with questions requiring a “yes” response, you can ask “no-oriented” questions phrased like “Would you be against…?” to make clients feel in control and more willing to engage. Derek also suggests testing verbal agreements at least twice to ensure commitment and prevent last-minute roadblocks in negotiations.
In this episode of What The Teck?, Rolando Rosas interviews Derek Gaunt, Negotiations Trainer and Coach at The Black Swan Group, about applying hostage negotiation strategies to business deals. Derek explains why emotions dictate responses in negotiations, how to identify manipulation, and the role of the amygdala in facilitating difficult conversations.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Rolando Rosas on LinkedIn
- Global Teck Worldwide
- Circuit Loops
- Derek Gaunt on LinkedIn
- The Black Swan Group: Website | YouTube
- Ego, Authority, Failure: Using Emotional Intelligence Like a Hostage Negotiator to Succeed as a Leader by Derek Gaunt
- Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
- “EX-FBI CYBER SCIENTIST: How to Avoid Cyber Attacks – ‘Cyber criminals can EXPLOIT you in MINUTES’” with James Morrison on What The Teck?
Quotable Moments:
- “The human brain works up to 31% better when it’s in a positive state.”
- “If you can taste how good the words are before you say them, they’re probably the wrong words.”
- “When you ask a ‘yes-oriented’ question, the other person immediately wonders what they’re committing to.”
- “Manipulation is always born out of fear — fear of losing something valuable.”
- “If you’re negotiating over email, stop. You lose too much data without human interaction.”
Action Steps:
- Master the accusations audit: Acknowledge potential objections upfront in meetings and negotiations to lower resistance and establish trust. This disarms skepticism and creates a smoother conversation.
- Ditch “yes-oriented” questions: Instead of leading someone to say “yes,” ask “no-oriented” questions phrased like “Would you be opposed to…?” to create a sense of control for the other person.
- Shift to voice or face-to-face communication: If you’re stuck in an email exchange, transition by saying, “Would you be against hopping on a quick 20-minute call?” This removes emotional ambiguity.
- Use tactical empathy in high-stakes conversations: Instead of reacting to someone’s hostility, step back and ask, “What made them say that?” Understanding the underlying emotions changes the entire dynamic.
- Test your agreements before closing the deal: Don’t settle for the first “yes.” Test commitments at least twice to ensure alignment and avoid potential roadblocks.
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by Global Teck Worldwide.
We are a full-service online retailer of professional headsets, webcams, and speaker phones from top manufacturers.
Since 2002, Global Teck Worldwide has provided affordable, high-quality communications equipment and customized telecommunications services to organizations of all sizes.
Our specialists have invested hundreds of hours in technical training, certifications, and seminars to assist customers with purchasing decisions.
We have served thousands of customers in a variety of industries with value-added services, including ergonomics, employee work accommodations, and hearing-impaired services.
If you are a government agency, small business, or Fortune 500 company, contact us at https://circuitloops.com/contact-us/ to discover a solution that fits your communication needs.
Episode Transcript:
Derek Gaunt 0:00
If somebody calls you a dumb, lazy you are conditioned to respond to those words that came out of bare mouth when you should be asking yourself, what made him say that the human brain works up to 31% better when it’s in a positive state. What does that mean for you during a tough conversation? The attack is going to come from one of three places. Number one,
Intro 0:20
Derek Gaunt is a seasoned lecturer, trainer and author of the book ego, authority, failure. Has dedicated 20 years to leading hostage negotiation teams. He trains organizations worldwide to enhance their communications and leadership skills.
Derek Gaunt 0:33
When someone is refusing to interact with me on a personal level, that’s a red flag for me. They’re afraid of me, afraid of a circumstance, or they’re trying to manipulate the situation in some way, shape or form. Manipulation is born out of fear. They’re afraid that they’re going to lose something if things don’t go exactly right.
Rolando Rosas 0:55
Maybe they’re under pressure,
Derek Gaunt 0:57
boom, pressure, pressure, pressure. We are all under it constantly. All of us have within us an innate desire to have somebody else understand what our perspective is. When you are triggered, the amygdala takes over before we start talking about ultimate outcomes, before we start problem solve, we have to take care of the negative emotion dynamics. First, what do you advise people to do? One of the first things that I say to them is, if anybody’s manipulating you, your first question should be,
Rolando Rosas 1:33
welcome to What the Teck? your gateway to business strategies and tech secrets shaping today’s workplace. Before we get into the guest today. You know, I read somewhere that 93% of the time when you use some of the methodology and techniques that this person is going to talk about today, he’s had success in obtaining a successful outcome. I want to find out why that is and how I could use it in my daily life, at work and things that I talk to and deal with people, and I’m sure that you could also use some of this in your lives as well. I want you to welcome to the podcast and put your hands together for Derek. Gaunt Hello, Derek,
Derek Gaunt 2:22
What’s up, bro? How are you?
Rolando Rosas 2:23
I’m doing terrific today. Are you a sports person? By any chance, I am. What sports team do you have a team that you
Derek Gaunt 2:30
I’m not going to answer that question. Suffice it to say that the team that I root for that I have been rooting for in football for the past 40 some odd years is a dumpster fire, and has been since 95 the last time they’ve lay up. So it wouldn’t be, it
Rolando Rosas 2:49
wouldn’t be our local, hometown team that just won the playoffs. No game, I should say, to get into the tournament. No, it’s a little bit
Derek Gaunt 2:57
further south, and they’ve got a big star on the side of their
Rolando Rosas 3:01
home. You’ve been in the desert for a while. My friend, yes,
Derek Gaunt 3:04
I have wandering aimlessly that
Rolando Rosas 3:07
team. They ought to change the name. I think somebody else has taken over the Americas team now they’ve got a couple more rings. This one guy in particular has a couple of rings on his finger lately.
Derek Gaunt 3:17
Yeah, don’t get me started. I don’t I
Rolando Rosas 3:21
know. I’m throwing you a little bit for a loop, but there’s a reason why I asked you that, because there’s a lot of principles there when it comes to teams. Just this morning, I was talking with my team about how the commanders won the game winning field goal this weekend, and it took several things leading up to that field goal, which it wasn’t an assured thing, it wasn’t a shoe in thing. But if you can have a certainty of like I was saying earlier, 93% that whatever you’re going to do, that thing can happen or put it in your favor. So you have that type of probability in your favor, why wouldn’t I want to do that? That’s
Derek Gaunt 4:00
a very good question. And in fact, I asked that question often, especially during keynotes. When I go out and do speaking engagements, I tell them about that 93% and I challenge them, because the best of them in that room, the best of the people listening to this podcast, are only successful probably 35 to 40% of the time. And that’s
[Continue to Page 2]
Recent Comments