The Art of Persuasion in Negotiation

Hiring managers remember the questions you ask. 8 questions that show you're serious about the role: ➤ "What would success look like in this role in the first 6 months?" - Shows you're focused on delivering value - Sets clear expectations from day one - Demonstrates immediate impact planning ➤ "Could you share more about the team's biggest challenge right now, and how this role would help address it?" - Demonstrates proactive problem-solving mindset - Shows your interest in making an impact - Reveals your solution-oriented approach to problems ➤ "How does this team's work align with the company's 5-year vision?" - Shows strategic thinking - Signals long-term commitment - Demonstrates big-picture understanding ➤ "Can you tell me more about the team's decision-making process for major projects?" - Reveals interest in team dynamics - Shows you're thinking about collaboration - Helps you understand team structure ➤ "What professional development opportunities are available for someone in this role?" - Demonstrates ambition - Shows commitment to growing within the company - Reveals your dedication to continuous learning ➤ "Could you share an example of how constructive feedback is typically delivered within the team?" - Shows emotional intelligence - Highlights interest in team communication - Demonstrates maturity in handling feedback ➤ "How might [recent company announcement/initiative] impact this team's priorities?" - Shows you've done your research - These questions are better than standard questions - Positions you as someone who thinks about business context (Example: "How might the recent expansion into the EMEA market affect this team's product roadmap?") ➤ "What are the next steps in the interview process and what timeline do you anticipate?" - Always ask if it’s not mentioned - Ensures clear follow-up expectations - Gives you an idea on when to send a follow-up email if you haven’t heard back The questions you ask can be just as impactful as the answers you give. Save this post for your next second interview! What questions would you add to this list?  Share below! 👇

There's an AE on my team that consistently hits 200% of quota or more. How? She asks the hard questions: 1. “You mentioned [X date] as a goal—what’s driving that timeline, and is that date firm?” Verifies whether the timeline is real or aspirational. 2. "Based on what you’ve seen so far, is there anything that’s giving you pause about moving forward with us?” Invites honest feedback to surface objections early. 3. “How does our solution compare to others you’re evaluating?” Tests competitive positioning and whether you're the frontrunner. 4.“Who else on your team needs to feel good about this before a decision is made?” Pushes beyond your main contact to build a map of the buying committee. 5. “If [insert key stakeholder] were here, what concerns would they raise?” Forces your champion to think on behalf of other decision-makers. 6. “Have you ever purchased something like this before? What did that process look like internally?” Surfaces potential red tape or hidden decision criteria. 7. “What needs to happen between now and [target close date] for this to actually happen?” Pushes them to co-create the buying journey and surface risk. What's your favorite hard question to ask? - Mike G 👉 Check out my newsletter (it's free!): https://lnkd.in/gGyqJquj

"I'll just wing it. I'm good on my feet." A Managing Director said this before walking into a $50M budget approval meeting. He walked out empty-handed. After 25+ years watching high potential executives crash and burn in "the room where it happens," I've learned something most people miss: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺. Influence isn't about charm. It's about preparation. Here's an approach you can put into practice today to immediately up your influencing impact. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: 𝟭. 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 (𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁) • Who really makes the decision? (Hint: Not always who you think) • What keeps them up at night? • Who do they trust for input? One client discovered the "junior" person in the room was the CEO's former chief of staff. Guess whose opinion mattered most? 𝟮. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝘁 The worst time to make allies? When you need them. Smart executives plant seeds months before the harvest: • Coffee with the skeptics • Informal temperature checks • Strategic information sharing By the time you're pitching, you already know who's with you. 𝟯. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 Match your message to their metrics: • Revenue-focused? Show growth • Cost-conscious? Show savings • Risk-averse? Show mitigation Same idea. Different frame. Completely different outcome. 𝟰. 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 The meeting isn't where you sell. It's where you confirm. If you're introducing new information in the room, you've already lost. The best executives I know follow this rule: 𝗡𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿. That person who always seems to "get lucky" with approvals? They're not lucky. They're doing 10x the advance work you are. While you're perfecting your slides, they're having strategic hallway conversations. While you're rehearsing your pitch, they're addressing objections before they're raised. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲: Your ability to influence has very little to do with your charisma in the moment. It has everything to do with the relationships you've built, the intelligence you've gathered, and the groundwork you've laid. Stop counting on spontaneous charm. Start investing in strategic preparation. Because in the C-suite, there are no successful surprise attacks. 🎯 When was the last time you walked into a crucial conversation truly prepared—not just with data, but with deep insight into every person in that room? Be honest. Your next promotion might depend on it. ------------ ♻️ Share with someone who needs to stop winging it and start winning it ➕ Follow Courtney Intersimone for more truth about what really drives executive success

"We're moving forward with another vendor." Every rep's nightmare sentence. I pressed for details. "Their approach felt more open. We actually knew what we were buying into." That stung. I'd shared: ••• Exhaustive feature documentation ••• Dozens of success stories   ••• Complete pricing breakdowns Where'd I go wrong? Days later, I got access to our competitor's sales process. The difference hit instantly: They didn't preach transparency. They lived it. Their follow-up wasn't an email avalanche. It was one collaborative hub where buyers could: ••• Monitor which stakeholders engaged with what ••• See their exact position in the evaluation journey ••• Find materials curated for their unique pain points ••• Manage internal distribution seamlessly My revelation: I was buried in PDFs. They were cultivating partnership. Next prospect, new approach: I built a shared workspace exposing EVERYTHING: → Which team members on our side viewed their data → Critical docs they'd missed → Realistic implementation expectations → Where we excel AND where we don't The buyer's response: "Finally, someone not playing games." Ink on paper in 10 days. Here's what's real: Today's buyers aren't starved for data. They're starved for authenticity. Yesterday's strategy: Bombard with polished assets that sidestep weaknesses. Tomorrow's strategy: Build transparent environments that tackle doubts directly. Your buyers know when something's off. Even when nothing is. Quit running sales like a shell game. Start running it like a glass house. You with me?

At Google, I learned a simple trick to creating presentations leaders actually engage with. It works like a charm, and anyone can learn it. It’s called SCQA. A framework that helps you structure the flow of your presentation so your audience stays hooked. Here’s how it works: - Situation (the context) - Complication (the issue or tension) - Question (the core problem) - Answer (the recommendation) Example: S (Situation) “Our customer churn rate has been steady at around 8% for the past two years.” C (Complication) “But in the last two quarters, churn has increased to 12%, and this is impacting revenue growth targets.” Q (Question) ”What’s driving this increase in churn, and what can we do about it?” A (Answer) “Our analysis shows two main drivers: (1) service response times have slowed, and (2) new competitors are undercutting our prices. If we invest in improving customer support and adjust pricing for our top three products, we can reduce churn back to 8% within two quarters.” (I also often used the similar structure of Context → Problem → Solution) Why it works: - Gives context before detail - Introduces tension that makes people care - Focuses on the core problem - Delivers clarity and next steps In other words, you're guiding your audience through a story that naturally leads to your recommendation. Any other SCQA fans out there? Or do you have a different go-to? P.S. Want to dive deeper into SCQA and four other proven presentation frameworks? Join 881 analysts who’ve already taken my free 5-day email course here: https://lnkd.in/gQcJhHXD

Want your words to actually sell? Here’s a simple roadmap I've found incredibly helpful: Think of crafting your message like taking someone on a mini-journey: 1. Hook them with curiosity: Your headline is the first "hello."  Make it intriguing enough to stop the scroll.  Instead of just saying "Email Marketing Tips," try something like "Want a 20% revenue jump in the next 60 days? (Here's the email secret)."  See the difference? Promise + Specificity = Attention. 2. Tell a story with a villain: This might sound dramatic, but hear me out.  What's the problem your audience is facing?  What's the frustration, the obstacle, the "enemy" they're battling?  For the email example, maybe it's "wasting hours on emails that no one opens."  Giving that problem a name creates an instant connection and a sense of purpose for your solution. 3. Handle the "yeah, but..." in their head: We all have those internal objections.  "I don't have time," "It costs too much," "Will it even work for me?"  Great copy anticipates these doubts and addresses them head-on within the message. 4. Show, don't just tell (Proof!): People are naturally skeptical.  Instead of just saying "it works," show them.  Even a simple "Join thousands of others who've seen real results" adds weight. Testimonials, even short ones, are gold. 5. Make it crystal clear what you want them to do (CTA):   Don't leave them guessing!  "Learn the exact steps in my latest guide" or "Grab your free checklist now" are direct and tell them exactly what to do and what they'll get.  Notice the benefit in the CTA example: "Get sculpted abs in just 4 weeks without dieting." And when you're thinking about where you're sharing this (LinkedIn post, email, etc.), there are different ways to structure your message. The P-A-S (Problem-Agitate-Solution) or A-I-D-A (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) frameworks are classics for a reason. The core difference I've learned? Good copywriting isn't about shouting about your amazing product. It's about understanding them – their challenges, their desires – and positioning your solution as the answer in a way that feels like a conversation, not a sales pitch.

The gap between good decisions and great ones often comes down to the questions we ask ourselves. 31% reduced confirmation bias. 39% improved argument quality. 43% greater hypothesis flexibility. These aren't just statistics. They're evidence of how the right questions can completely reshape your thinking. We're not in an era where critical thinking is optional. We're in a time where it's the difference between leading and following. The most powerful questions aren't complicated. They're precisely targeted to counteract our cognitive blind spots. Here are five backed by research: 🔹 "What would make me wrong about this?" Counteracts confirmation bias by forcing you to seek disconfirming evidence. Journal of Business Research shows this simple question improved decision accuracy by 26%. 🔹 "What's the strongest case against my position?" Develops intellectual empathy by steelmanning opposing views. Stanford University studies found this practice increased persuasiveness by 27%. 🔹 "What information would change my conclusion entirely?" Prevents overconfidence in limited evidence. Princeton University research shows this question improved the incorporation of new evidence by 51%. 🔹 "Whose perspective am I not considering?" Reveals blind spots and prevents echo chamber thinking. MIT Sloan School of Management research found this improved solution quality by 28%. 🔹 "How would I think about this if it weren't my idea?" Creates psychological distance from your own ideas. Organizational Research showed this reduced unhelpful attachment by 47%. The world doesn't just need more information processors. It requires more nuanced thinkers who can navigate complexity with clarity and objectivity. That's the mindset we're helping build - for leaders who want to make decisions they won't regret tomorrow. Coaching can help; let's chat.  Follow Joshua Miller 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲? 🚀 Download Your Free E-Book:  “𝟮𝟬 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀” ↳ https://rb.gy/37y9vi #executivecoaching #criticalthinking #careeradvice

Last week, we closed a deal with a $10 billion (revenue) company. No click bait. Just a story that marks a new era. Here's what their SVP told me: “A few years ago, our sellers didn’t need real skills. Tailwinds and great product-market fit carried us. We had nothing more than order-taking skills.” He went on: “But today? Sales cycles are complex. Buying committees are more educated & skeptical. The ZIRP era won’t come back for another generation. We need to maximize revenue per rep. That starts with skill capacity.” We’re no longer in the ZIRP era. We’re in the Skill Capacity Era. I asked him what skills matter most now. Here’s what he said: 1. Disruptive Insight Selling. Great sellers don’t pitch. They reframe the problem. They introduce a unique insight that shifts the buyer’s thinking. In a way that favors a purchase. Most AEs can’t do this. They offer thinly veiled product pitches. No insight. No acumen. Top sellers reframe the buyer’s mind. They communicate, without saying it: “I know your business — and I understand this problem better than anyone else.” 2. Developing and Quantifying Value. Open your CRM. Look at the notes in the ‘pain’ field.' Now ask yourself: Are these the problems C-level execs care about? Or mid-level frustrations? Most AEs stop at surface pain. The best go deeper — and quantify what they find. They uncover the need behind the need. That’s where the deal lives. 3. Frictionless Multi-Threading. Buying committees are larger. Buying committees are more risk averse. Buying committees are prone to “do nothing.” Yet sellers have the same multi-threading habits they did two years ago: Work with one, MAYBE two people. Stick with the most comfortable contact. Avoid the skeptics. The best salespeople don't just multi-thread. They drive consensus. 4. CFO-Level Business Cases You don’t need to be a spreadsheet wizard. But you do need to speak CFO. If your ROI pitch sounds like a sales deck? At best, they’ll roll their eyes. If it sounds like a financial case with scenarios? You’ll get to “yes” faster. 5. Taking Control. The Challenger Sale gave sellers a game-changing framework: Teach. Tailor. Take Control. Most AEs don’t know how to do that without sounding tone-deaf to buying dynamics. They defer. They wait. They follow the buyer’s process and hope for the best. But in this market? Hope is not a strategy. AI can’t lead a room. It can’t challenge a buyer’s process. It can’t manage power dynamics. That’s your job. The best AEs define the pace and tone of every deal they touch. ZIRP is gone. The order-taker economy is dead. Welcome to the Skill Capacity Era. The CRO flex isn’t bloated headcount anymore. It’s skill density × revenue per rep. P.S. Start transforming your revenue team with these 24 skill transformation tips: https://lnkd.in/g_JF-ytC

An executive buyer at a $5B company is never going to read your deck. Here's how top enterprise sellers create an executive-level POV that builds credibility and closes deals: The problem? Most sales decks are detailed, product-focused, and never make it to executives. You need a way to simplify your value. The below framework works because it maps to their highest priorities, teaches them something new, and addresses problems they didn't know were impacting their business. Here's how it works: Part 1: You're trying to achieve X Insert their highest-level goals (launch an AI initiative, improve margins, grow revenue, mitigate risk). Think CEO-level initiatives, not tactics like "improve productivity." Part 2: But what's getting in the way is Y Educate them on what's happening at ground level. Executives are often removed from the manual work and pain their teams face. Teaching them something new about their business that they don't already know? That's how you establish instant credibility. Part 3: We can solve for Y by doing this Explain how your solution addresses the problem you just educated them on. Part 4: By solving this, you can accelerate achieving your goal Connect it back to their vision and highest priorities. ——— Real-life example using TitanX (a client who helps improve outbound connection rates): "You're trying to grow revenue 20% this year. A major strategy is building pipeline, so you doubled your BDR team from 50 to 100—spending an extra $5M. But what's getting in the way? Only 1 in 10 prospects pick up the phone. So even with 100 BDRs, each rep needs 100 dials to book just 1 meeting. You're not getting 2x the pipeline because the connect rate is killing you. We can solve this by increasing your connect rate from 10% to 25% using call intent data. We analyze your database and surface the prospects most likely to pick up, instead of blindly calling every lead. By doing that, those same 100 dials become 25 pickups instead of 10. If your reps keep their same meeting conversion rate, that's 2.5 meetings per 100 dials instead of 1. That's 2.5x more appointments from the $5M you invested, which builds the pipeline you need to hit your 20% growth goal." You can take this to a CRO, CFO, or head of sales. It's compelling because it uses their numbers and maps directly to their goals. Your assignment: Watch the full training below, then plug your solution into this framework. Use your customer's actual numbers. The specificity is what makes this work. Try it out and let me know how it goes.

Leaders can’t afford to be basic communicators. Communication is what makes them effective. Effective leaders craft communication strategies to persuade stakeholders, build trust, and foster collaboration. These five communication frameworks can help every leader achieve that edge: 1️⃣ NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Understand how language influences behavior. Use it to build rapport, inspire action, and guide your team’s mindset. Pro Tip: Mirror your team’s communication style to foster trust. 2️⃣ Process Communication Model (PCM) Decode personalities in the room. PCM helps you adjust your style to motivate different people effectively. Example: Is your team member fact-driven or people-focused? Tailor your approach accordingly. 3️⃣ Non-Violent Communication (NVC) Master the art of expressing needs without conflict. Framework: Observation → Feeling → Need → Request. It’s a game-changer for resolving tensions while strengthening relationships. 4️⃣ P.I.E Framework (Performance, Image, Exposure) Success isn’t just about Performance. Leaders need to build their Image and ensure they have Exposure to the right stakeholders. Ask yourself: Are you visible where it matters most? 5️⃣ Storytelling as a Strategy Stories don’t just inform—they inspire. Frameworks like the Hero’s Journey or Problem-Solution-Benefit create compelling narratives that connect emotionally with your team or audience. ✨ Why it Matters: Great leaders aren’t just communicators – they’re connectors. These tools help you inspire teams, build trust, and drive action. 🧠 Which of these frameworks would you love to dive deeper into? Drop your thoughts below ⬇ and share with your network to spread these insights! 📌 Follow Oliver Aust for more actionable leadership tips.