Jack Sparrow’s Guide To Negotiate Effectively
“Why fight when you can negotiate?” — Captain Jack, Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man’s Chest.
Captain Jack is a genius when it comes to getting out of tight spots. He had managed to slip under his enemies’ noses without getting himself killed and get away with it, making him one of the most intelligent characters in the entire franchise.
Notice that every side he had been with always wanted to kill him but can never do so because they were always drawn to Jack’s persusasion.
Therefore, in this article, I want to breakdown how he managed to persuade people effectively to get away from death. I am going to take a scene from the Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl where Jack is negotiating with Barbosa.
Note: If you haven’t watched the movie, there will be full spoilers. Here goes:
1) Define both goals
So in the movie, Barbosa and his men want to be mortal again. In order to be one, he needed the blood of Will Turner, and that means also killing him.
Jack, on the other hand, needed Will Turner alive, just as he promised to the English Royal Navy, but at the same time, he wants his ship. So, you can see here, there is a big contrast between parties, especially when it comes to pirates, they are very selfless.
So when you are in a meeting, ensure you know what the other wants and what you want. That way, you have a plan for the negotiation, leading to my next point...
2) Be positive
“Jack! Where is Elizabeth??”
“She’s safe, just like I promised. She’s all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we’re all men of our word really… except for Elizabeth, who is in fact, a woman.”
There is silliness going on here. Instead of just saying that “She is safe”, Jack made it longer by overreacting. Overreacting often leads to jokes, which can help him to break the serious tension without stuttering. Look at how confident he is to just say this even when surrounded by his enemies.
You may think this is silly, however, this is actually a good tactic to boost confidence. Studies have shown that telling jokes is actually a good way to boost one’s courage to stand up upfront and be more positive, this is why you see many comedians, especially stand-ups, have no problem at doing public speaking. They are used to making jokes, which is why their confidence keeps boosting.
Take a look at all the characters. Captain Jack, one of the silliest characters throughout the entire franchise, had no problem entering the enemies’ lair and always confidence when speaking with them.
If you can break the tension by giving a small joke, you are all set to go. That way, you will be more confident in a meeting.
3) Use reverse psychology
“You don’t want to be doing that, mate.”
“Oh, I really think I should.”
“Your funeral.”
“Why don’t I want to be doing this?”
“Because the agymist Dauntless, pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore, waiting for you.”
Using reverse psychology can really help to make the other party think twice and ask again.
Barbosa was just about to cut Will’s neck off, but Jack uses reverse psychology to stop him. It is a very effective way to change one’s mind. First, he scares Barbosa, then tells the consequences for his action if he won’t hear what Jack has to say.
That way, you are attracting the other party to listen to what you have to offer because you have the information they need, thus showing you have a position of power to them.
At this point, you have their attention. However, you still don’t want to make them sound bad, so here is the next step to do….
4) Make them feel grand
“You order your men to row out to the Dauntless, they do what they do best. And you are with two ships, the making of your very own fleet. Of course, you’ll take the grandest as your flag ship and who’s to argue? ”
This is where the negotiation starts. Jack first made them sound great very important and treats them with respect, thus, attracting their attention to hear whatever Jack is offering.
This is so that they feel important. Why would you want to join a negotiation where you can’t see yourself winning? This is what Jack understands, that’s why he was able to keep talking.
This is where he can tell him what he wants, however, he still needs his attention. That’s why Jack loses a little power in order to define his goal to him.
“What of the Pearl (ship)? Name me captain, I’ll sail under your color and give ou 10% of me plunder, and you get to introduce yourself as commodore Barbosa, Savy?”
Once again, you are trying to get the third party to agree with you. That is why he baits Barbosa to imagine how grand he will be if he just listens to what he has to offer.
Everyone loves to be complimented or to be seen as high status, that is why the dialogue above caught the attention of Barbossa very much. It suits his gains and what he wants, this is what Jack understands.
Thus, leading them to the next step…
5) Establish the trust
“I suppose in exchange you want me not to kill the whelp?”
“No no no no, by all means, kill the whelp. Just not yet. Wait to life the curse until the opportune moment. For instance, after you’ve killed Norrington’s man, every single one.”
Jack has indirectly hinted to him that he is on Barbosa’s side and allowing him to get a head start to kill the English Navy armies. So there is a trust that is bridged between two parties, neither one feels that the other is going to be betrayed.
Once the trust is there, that’s when you can talk numbers, leading to my last point…
6) Name your price
“I want 50% of your plunder.”
“15!”
“40!”
“25…. I’ll buy you a hat, a really big one. Commodore.”
“We have an accord.”
Don’t be shy to show how much you are worth. Barbosa wants 50% at first, clearly, that is too much, especially for a commission. That’s why Jack negotiates his deal, he has no problem doing this because he has already given the information that Barbosa wants.
Remember that you are still showing your power. So, do not devalue yourself just because the other person wants something more from you but you won’t be able to get much of the reward.
Thus, in the end, Barbosa won’t have a problem if he has to name Jack Captain of the Black Pearl because established what he wants, which every leader would.
The take
Although in the end, Jack actually lied to Barbosa, he was still able to repeat the same techniques in the next films. And it has proven that it is very effective. For instance, check out this scene where Jack and Beckett negotiate for the location of the Brethren Court.
The techniques he used are the same:
- Define both goals
- Be positive
- Use reverse psychology
- Make them feel grand
- Establish trust
- Name your price
I hope you learn something from here.
