Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It

A month after the 2001 Schilling case described in Chapter 5, the same terrorist organization takes more hostages. Tensions escalate as the Philippine army negotiates with Sabaya and initiates a manhunt; the kidnappers behead an American and release video of other hostages, including two American missionaries. Sabaya is replaced by another negotiator around the time that Voss arrives. They arrange to make a ransom payment, but the kidnappers refuse to release the hostages after receiving payment. Unknown to Voss, Sabaya arranged a separate deal with another party that fell through, then refused to release the prisoners. Two months later, the Philippine army marches into the kidnappers’ camp on a rescue mission; two of the three hostages are killed by the soldiers’ fire. From this experience, Voss learns that negotiation is more about “coaxing” or “nudging” than controlling. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to negotiate while engaged in open combat. Securing a deal with the negotiating individual is not enough—you must ensure that the entire team is on board.

Months later, Voss learns that, separate from his team’s negotiation, a political opponent of the Philippine president carried out negotiations for the hostages’ release, and this politician managed to speak with one of the hostages directly, which was more than Voss’s team accomplished.