How to Persuade Without Pressure — The Magic Question That Changes Everything

Negotiate Anything

American Negotiation Institute

Education, Business, Self-improvement

4.7 • 748 Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You don’t need pressure to persuade — you need the right question. In this episode, Yale professor and bestselling author Zoe Chance joins Kwame Christian to share the most practical, science-backed influence strategies used by top leaders, negotiators, and communicators. You'll learn how to apply her signature "magic question" in real conversations, how unfair forgiveness can increase loyalty, and why most people misunderstand what real persuasion looks like. Zoe also breaks down why kindness isn’t weakness, how to influence without manipulation, and what Hollywood gets completely wrong about negotiation. Whether you’re leading a team, managing conflict, or just trying to get through a difficult conversation, this episode will help you shift from force to connection — and become more influential in the process. You’ll discover: The 4-word question that changes everything Why empathy builds more commitment than incentives A reframe that helps you handle resistance with grace The mistake most people make when trying to sound powerful If you’ve ever struggled to be persuasive without losing yourself — this one’s for you. Connect with Zoe Follow Zoe Chance On LinkedIn⁠ Buy the Book: ⁠Influence Is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen⁠ ⁠Zoe Chance's Website⁠ Contact ANI ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Request A Customized Workshop For Your Company⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kwame Christian on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠negotiateanything.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to buy your copy of Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, I'm Kwame Christian and you are about to step into the world of Negotiate Anything,
0:06.2	the number one negotiation podcast in the world where we teach you how to make difficult conversations easier while getting more of what you want in the process.
0:14.7	Each episode is packed with practical tips and strategies from the experts.
0:19.5	We delve into negotiation, conflict resolution,
0:22.7	and leadership skills that are crucial in both business and in life. Whether you're closing a deal,
0:28.3	managing a team, or navigating personal relationships, negotiate anything provides you with the tools
0:33.9	you need to succeed. Our conversations are real, relatable, and most importantly, rooted
0:39.8	in practicality. So if you're ready to transform your conversations and elevate your negotiation skills,
0:46.2	join me on Negotiate Anything. Subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you love to
0:52.7	listen. Let's make every conversation a winning negotiation.
0:58.7	Zoe, thanks for joining us today. Thank you so much. It's great to be here.
1:03.1	Yeah, it's great to have you, my friend. So how would you get us started by telling us a little bit
1:06.8	about yourself and what you do? Sure. I'm the author of a new book called
1:11.0	Influences Your Superpower, and I based this on the course that I teach at Yale School of
1:15.5	Management. It's the most popular course. That one's called Mastering Influence and Persuasion.
1:20.8	And I wrote it to share tools and science, insights, strategies of influence beyond the ivory tower.
1:29.3	So can I, so that I can help lots of people do good and do well at the same time.
1:34.8	This is great.
1:35.9	And kudos to you.
1:37.1	I think you picked the best title for a book on persuasive communication ever.
1:42.0	I think that's absolutely brilliant.
1:43.8	It's funny you say it because
	...

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