What Science Says about Disagreeing like an FBI-Agent
The way you disagree is probably wrong. But you can fix it.
I can’t be certain of course, I don’t know you (yet). As a general rule, the way most of us disagree and negotiate is fundamentally flawed. It runs counter to what we now know about how the brain processes disagreement from the last decade of Cognitive Science research.
How do I know?
Simple. Because I was guiltier than anyone else. I was in sales, failing miserably. And now I’m trying to change that.
From FBI negotiators to Presidents-club salespeople, the best disagreers (yes, I made this word up, so what) make a point of avoiding these common pitfalls.
You’re Wrong — and here’s why
If you’ve ever stated something like this (I’m guilty as charged), congratulations. You’ve just switched off the other sides brain.
Or at least, the part responsible for judging how confident they are in what you have to say. See.
Research from Dr Andres Kappa and colleagues at the University College London found that during a negotiation, when one side openly disagrees with the other, the posterior Medial Prefrontal Cortex shuts off. This part of your brain is responsible for scoring how confident you are about the…
