294. Ask & You Shall Receive: Questions For Better Negotiations
From Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques by Matt Abrahams, Think Fast Talk Smart
June 4, 2026 · 27 min
About this episode
Stan Christensen discusses the importance of building long-term relationships in negotiations rather than just focusing on immediate gains.
Do you really win the negotiation if it means losing the relationship? You might think that successful negotiation means getting what you want here and now. But Stan Christensen says this short-sighted view is selling many negotiators short. Christensen is a professional negotiator, host of the All Things Negotiation podcast, and instructor of one of Stanford's most popular courses on the subject. His core insight: most negotiations happen with people you’ll see again — which means success isn’t about claiming victory, it’s about building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. “Most people think of negotiation statically,” he says. “It's you and I. There's a fixed pie. We're trying to get more for ourself and less for the other party. In reality, 95% of negotiations are gonna be with people you see again, so I define success as contributing to the value of the long-term relationship.” In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Christensen and host Matt Abrahams explore what it takes to negotiate well — from the power of listening and asking questions to managing emotions and communicating for collaboration. Whether you're negotiating a business deal or just deciding where…
People in this episode
Host: Matt Abrahams
Guest: Stan Christensen
Topics covered
- negotiation
- relationships
- communication
- listening
- questions
- collaboration
Keywords
- negotiation
- relationships
- listening
- questions
- communication
- collaboration
- business
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: All Things Negotiation, Stanford
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