Body Language Secrets to Win More Negotiations: How to Read Any Opponent and Get What You Want
Greg Williams with Pat Iyer
Career Press (September 2016)

How and why body language will influence the outcome of every negotiation, for better or worse

All of the major research studies agree that, during one-on-one interaction, body language and tone of voice determine at least 80% of the impact; as for what is said, only 15-20%, at most. However, for whatever reasons, people tend to underestimate – if not ignore – the power and impact of nonverbal communication.

In this book written with Pat Iyer, Greg Williams explains “how to read any opponent and get what you want.” By “opponent,” he presumably means someone who wants something else. Those who have mastered the various skills on which he focuses could well find themselves in competition when engaged in a major negotiation or in a game of high-stakes power. The same skills can help to increase a salesperson’s close ration or prevail during a discussion of promotion and/or increased compensation.

These are among the several dozen passages of greatest interest and value to me, also listed to suggest the scope of Williams’ coverage:

o Questions to be answers (Pages 10-11)
o Body Language as Nonverbal Communication (14-15)
o Body Language from Head to Toe (15-23)
o Microexpressions: Catching One-Second Bursts of Emotion (35-56)
o Preparation (51-72)
o Priming your adversary (59-62)
o Controlling emotions (73-92)
o Brain games/Psychology (93-112)
o Body language to stimulate triggers (126-128)
o The Affinity Principle (133-153)
o Tapping the Power of Influence (155-173)
o Techniques for Creating a Successful Negotiation (175-195)
o Group Negotiations (187-197)
o Strategies (197-217)

Williams provides an abundance of information, insights, and counsel that can help almost anyone to win more negotiations – whatever their nature and extent may be — by taking full advantage of opportunities created by mastery of their body language, and, by their mastery of skills that enable them to read others’ body language.

Potential applications of his material seem without limit. With only minor modifications, classroom teachers and athletic coaches can interact much more effectively with those entrusted to their care. The same is true of dissatisfied customers whose tone of voice during a conversation with a CSR may well determine whether or not their grievance is resolved.

Greg Williams may well have been told by his grandmother what my grandmother stressed over and over and over again. “You’ll catch more bugs with honey than you will with vinegar.” The same is true with people.