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Negotiate Anything

Why the Quietest Person Often Wins the Deal

Negotiate Anything

American Negotiation Institute

Education, Business, Self-improvement

4.7748 Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2026

⏱️ 77 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Silence can win you the negotiation before you even say a word. In this masterclass episode of Negotiate Anything, Kwame Christian speaks with mediator Amy Mariani and leadership expert Elaine Lin Herring about the hidden power of silence in negotiation and leadership. They explore how intentional pauses, body language, and thoughtful communication can reveal critical information, shift dynamics, and move conversations toward resolution. Amy shares how silence often prompts the other side to reveal more than they planned, why people feel compelled to fill quiet moments, and how subtle cues — like facial expressions or gestures — can signal discomfort or hesitation. Then Elaine expands the conversation to the silence we learn in our workplaces and relationships, and how reclaiming our voice can reshape leadership, collaboration, and negotiation. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why silence is one of the most powerful negotiation tools How to read body language—even over Zoom A practical way to break complex conversations into manageable parts How leaders can create cultures where people feel safe to speak up Sometimes the most powerful move in a conversation isn’t what you say—it’s when you choose not to speak.

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:05.1

by Gerber Life. If you're in back-to-back meetings and want to stay focused while still getting

0:09.2

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0:15.9

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0:46.4

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0:57.5

prices subject to underwriting and health questions.

0:59.8

Welcome to this masterclass edition of Negotiate Anything.

1:02.9

With over 1,700 episodes featuring some of the world's brightest minds,

1:07.4

we've carefully curated a couple of powerful conversations for you. What makes this

1:12.4

so special is that you'll hear how different experts from different industries approach the same

1:17.2

challenge in their own unique ways. Our goal is to give you multiple perspectives so you can

1:23.0

build your own unique style. Success doesn't look the same for everyone. And in this masterclass,

1:28.7

you'll see exactly why. Let's dive in. Amy, thanks for joining us today. Great to be here.

1:40.6

Thanks so much for having me. Yes, it is our pleasure. We were excited to have you,

1:45.3

even though we were rescheduled a few times. It happens. So how would you get started by

1:52.3

telling us a little bit about yourself and what you do? Sure. I'm a mediator. I've been mediating

1:57.5

full time for about five years after a 20-year career as a trial attorney,

2:02.6

trying cases in employment, personal injury, and contracts disputes.

2:08.4

And that tends to be where the focus of my practice is most of the time these days.

2:12.5

But I love the shift and I love helping people work through problems and move forward to resolution.

...

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