William Ury’s book Getting Past No contains a five-step model for Hostage Negotiators to follow. It has direct applications to macking. 1. Go to the balcony. The Negotiator doesn’t go anywhere in a literal sense. It means he “steps outside of himself” and imagines being up above, looking down on the scenario. This is a psychological technique that helps…
Read More »The book Crisis Negotiations by Michael McMains and Wayman Mullins, used by police departments across the country, refers to the “rule of reciprocity.” This rule means that if you do a favor for someone, they will feel obliged to repay the favor. It’s basic human nature. It makes us uncomfortable to feel that we owe a person something. When you do…
Read More »This is the core of M.A.C.K. Tactics, a set of principles that were literally gained through blood, sweat and tears on the battlefield the kind where bullets fly, instead of Cupid’s arrows. Here we’ll explain the powerful connection between Hostage Negotiation and the art of Macking. The Negotiator is a calming, non-threatening presence. He conveys the sense that he is…
Read More »As you converse, you’re letting her do much of the talking. Resist the urge to jump in and start telling her what you think. Instead, use Minimal Encouragers are technique used by Hostage Negotiators to keep things flowing. Some examples of Minimal Encouragers are: • “Wow, it seems like we’re really on the same page. Tell me more.” • “I was…
Read More »The average guy feels awkward about approaching girls because he worries his opening lines will sound obvious and cliché. He doesn’t have anything clever to say and knows he’ll have to resort to something along the lines of “So, do you come here often?” Once you’ve made your three-point intro, you can start the conversation with a simple question along…
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