The Brian Buffini Show Quick Cut: S2E373 Never Split the Difference with Chris Voss
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Feb 12, 2026 
Chris Voss, former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator and bestselling author, shares negotiation tools rooted in emotional intelligence. He explains why splitting the difference fails. Stories cover tactical empathy, mirroring, curiosity as a negotiation frame, and turning high-stakes techniques into everyday wins.
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Learning As A Sustainable Advantage
- Continuous learning is the only sustainable competitive advantage according to Voss.
- Developing skills through practice and enjoyment accelerates success and expertise.
Why You Shouldn't Split The Difference
- Splitting the difference often masks a con and leaves both parties feeling cheated.
- Prospect theory makes compromises feel like losses twice as large, which destroys long-term relationships.
Getting A Lower Price With Tactical Mirroring
- Chris Voss describes buying a Toyota 4Runner by mirroring the salesperson's arguments back to him.
- Repeating the salesperson's case and asking "How am I supposed to do that?" pushed him to lower the price to Voss's number.
