Why Listening Is the Most Powerful Negotiation Skill

Mindset & Mental Resilience
Written By Mel Saladino

Get stronger at negotiation, communication, and influence in this episode of Stronger.
Don Saladino is joined by retired federal agent and interrogation expert Desmond O’Neill, who shares lessons from a 30-year career spanning the U.S. Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations.
Desmond served as a lead instructor for the High Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG)—a unit created to replace coercive interrogation with science-based, non-confrontational methods proven to extract accurate, reliable information.

In this conversation, Desmond takes listeners inside the interrogation booth and translates high-stakes tactics into practical tools you can use in everyday life. You’ll learn how to read people in real time using the Four Animal Archetypes, why listening is the most powerful negotiation skill, the critical difference between manipulation and influence, and how “robbing someone of their moment” quietly destroys trust and rapport.

Whether you’re navigating a business negotiation, managing a team, or trying to get your kids to listen, Desmond’s insights on curiosity, empathy, silence, and active listening will change the way you approach every conversation.

Or listen here:

SPONSORED BY:

Mel Saladino
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