Negotiation as a Martial Art
How can we use negotiation as a martial art? In this episode of Incorporating Superpowers, host Justin Recla and guest Cash Nickerson discuss how negotiation can be used to get what you want while creating win-win dynamics. Negotiation may be compared to a martial art, and it is critical to prepare for each negotiation. It should be regarded and prepared like such, according to Cash, who offers three suggestions for preparing for a negotiation. Listen in to learn more about why negotiating is a martial art.
Justin Recla:Â
Welcome back to Incorporating SuperPowers. Today, we are going to look at the art of negotiation. More importantly, we’re going to look at negotiation as a martial art. My guest today is Cash Nickerson, he is the author of the book Negotiation as a Martial Art, and I wanted to have Cash on the show today because these concepts that he’s teaching in his book are very much in alignment with some of the stuff that we teach here at Super Power Experts, and that’s the fact that in every situation, in every moment, every business dealing, every relationship, there’s a constant negotiation, in our vernacular it’s a constant manipulation, right?
Manipulation is neither good nor bad, but there’s always some form of manipulation going on, and where negotiation has always gotten a bad name is that it seems confrontational, and Cash is here to tell you otherwise, negotiation doesn’t have to be confrontational, it can actually be used to create win-win opportunities in every situation, Cash thank you for being on the show today.
Cash Nickerson:
Thank you, Jason. I’m thrilled to be here.
Justin Recla:Â
Absolutely. So talk to me a little bit about Negotiation as a Martial Art, how did this book come about for you?
Cash Nickerson:
I had written a book called Listening as a Martial Art when I had noticed in my practice of martial arts that certain techniques and tactics seemed equally applicable to the business world and not just the business world but interpersonal relationships.
You think of martial arts as a human exchange, and that’s exactly what it is, but it’s an intense human exchange. It’s a human exchange with consequences. It’s a human change where the stakes are high, if you don’t pay attention to someone speaking to you every day, okay, big deal, maybe you missed something and you can ask later, but the stakes aren’t that high.
If you don’t pay attention to someone you’re across from practicing martial arts, you get hit in the head.
Justin Recla:
Get a quick jab in the face, right?
Cash Nickerson:
You may get a bloody nose, hurt an eye, I mean the stakes are high and so what that means to me and what I took from that was that intensity, that intense exchange probably has lessons for us in our everyday exchanges, because it’s a heightened period of human exchange and that’s why I have the subtitle of the book, Techniques to Master the Art of Human Exchange, that’s what we’re talking about, whether it’s manipulation, negotiation, very little speech is rhetorical. We all want something, need something, or somebody wants something from us. I really get what you’re saying when you talk about manipulation.
Justin Recla:
It’s that the concept of human interaction is something that Tony and I have been diving into for the last, I could not, I don’t know, what year is it? 2022 almost, or by the time the show airs, it’s probably going to be 2022.
I mean for the last good, 20 some odd years, and in the counterintelligence world, the art of negotiation is something that understanding how we work and how people work, it’s something that needs to be understood, we used to teach things like in-group, out-group dynamics and, ego deconstruction and those kinds of things, and I think, when people think of negotiation, they think that they have to armor up because you’re going to battle. What’s your experience with that?
Cash Nickerson:
It’s exactly this, the one thing that you bring to every conversation exchange is you and I tell people along the lines of armoring up, if you come in with your sword drawn, everybody puts their shields up.
You define the space because you bring you, and if you come into a room like Superman, you’re going to face Wonder Woman, and that may be okay, that may be what you want, but you should at least know what you’re bringing.
In martial arts, you often don’t know, in let’s say an uncertain situation, what’s across from you, and if I put up my fist, then I’m a boxer, if I look like I want to grapple, then I’m a wrestler and great martial artists, you can’t tell what they are, they come at you completely empty without the sword drawn and very powerful to think about what person you’re bringing into any given exchange.
Justin Recla:
I absolutely loved that, know what you’re bringing into the fight, it doesn’t have to be a fight. I absolutely loved it. We’re going to dive into this a little bit further on the backend because there’s so much to uncover and reveal here in what you explore in your book, Negotiation as a Martial Art.
Again, we’re talking to Cash Nickerson today, the author of this book, Cash before we go on break, where can our listeners go find more information about you?
Cash Nickerson:
I always recommend my website cashnickerson.com, the book is available at every place that sells books, including Barnes & Noble, and Amazon, but probably my website cashnickerson.com is a great place to get additional content and information both about me, about the book, and my ideas.
Justin Recla:
Fantastic, folks go take a look at Cash’s book and take a look at his website, pick up a copy and take a look at how you can start using negotiation as a martial art. Stay with us, we’ll be right back.
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