In 1993, three employees at Chase Manhattan Bank in Brooklyn were taken hostage by two men.

Chris Voss, who is a trained FBI hostage negotiator, was in charge of resolving the hostage situation. This is one of many situations Chris has encountered during his 24 years long FBI hostage negotiator career. He has negotiated with terrorists, bank robbers, and kidnappers and through his effective communication techniques he has persuaded criminals to see things his way.

Here are two effective FBI communication techniques that will instantly make you a better communicator:

Mirroring - This technique is designed to make the other person feel that you are listening intently. Mirroring is achieved by repeating key words the other person has used in their sentence.

For example somebody is opening up to you about a difficult situation they are in. "Lately, I have been feeling very stressed and overwhelmed by my financial situation."

Mirroring: "Stressed and overwhelmed?"

By mirroring the person's speech, you give the other person a feeling that you are listening to what they have to say and they feel at ease during your conversation. You can repeat this technique throughout the whole conversation.

Labelling - This technique is designed to acknowledge and label the feelings of the other person in a conversation. Using the same example as above: "Lately, I have been feeling very stressed and overwhelmed by my financial situation."

Labelling: "It sounds like you are having a very hard time currently."

By using labels during a conversation, you reinforce the person's feelings and position and make them feel at ease when they speak to you. You can repeat this technique throughout the whole conversation.

Both techniques are very effective separately but can also be combined. So next time you are having a conversation try these new techniques and let me know how it goes!