Communication Techniques

Communication at Work: Why Hearing 'No' Should Be Your Goal

Many of the negotiation techniques we teach at Black Swan Group are part of a “no” strategy. We discuss ways to make “no” work for you in a...

Communication Techniques

Communication at Work: Are You Being Too Nice at the Negotiation Table?

When we’re faced with a difficult negotiation, many of us make the mistake of thinking that niceness will help us get what we want. To make ourselves...

Communication Techniques

Communication at Work: How to Nail Your Elevator Pitch

I’ll be honest—I’m not a fan of the elevator pitch. The idea of preparing a 30-second sales speech in which you explain your idea or solution and why...

Communication Techniques

5 Effective Communication Techniques for Managing People

There’s no shortage of bad managers in the world. Most of them aren’t inherently evil people—they’re simply poor communicators. Being an effective...

Mastering the Art of First and Last Impressions

Although first impressions don’t always stick, they do inform how much time, attention, and trust you earn right off the bat. On average, first...

Preparing to Negotiate

3 Scenarios to Practice Your Negotiation Skills

There’s one commonality that all effective negotiators share: they consciously make the decision to negotiate in their daily lives. It may sound...

Preparing to Negotiate

Why Compromise is the Enemy of Agreement

We’ve all heard the old adage that “compromise is the secret to a good marriage.” It’s not uncommon to hear compromise linked to things like love and...

Negotiation and Personal Relationships

How to Negotiate With Loved Ones

No matter how skilled and practiced you are as a negotiator, when it comes to dealing with the people you love, it’s easy to get stuck. The same...

Negotiation Tactics

5 Elements of Emotional Intelligence to Use During Negotiation

As former FBI negotiators and professional negotiation coaches, we spend a lot of time thinking and talking about emotional intelligence (EQ)....

Improving Sales

4 Ways to Keep Your Sales Team from Offering Discounts

There’s no denying that sales is a high-pressure, high-stakes game. When you close a big deal, you feel on top of the world. When you lose one, it’s...

How to Negotiate

How to Negotiate Your Way into a Job: 4 Tips to Nail Your Next Interview

Job hopping can be a slog, but it’s also one of the most effective ways to move up and earn more. The average person will change jobs around 12 times...

Communication Techniques

4 Ways To Improve Your Team's Communication

There’s a difference between negotiating at the same time and negotiating as a team. If you’re laser-focused on getting your turn to speak and...