Summary of How To Deal With Assertive People

This blog post is a summary of:

People are okay with not having their way if they’re convinced that you’ve truly listened to them, understood their point of view, where they’re coming from, and you respect them.

It’s a misconception to say that nice people can get pushed around. Some negotiators are nice and disarming but very firm about what they want.

Alphas sometimes try to dominate the negotiation. They want to control how the conversation goes. They want to talk rather than listen. Instead, cede control to the other side. Let the conversation take a different path from what you had in mind. Listen. Give the other side small victories like controlling the flow of the conversation, so that you get the big victories.

Ask “How?” questions like “How am I supposed to do this project in 3 months?” Not “Why?” questions, which put people on the defensive.