Law Firm Growth Podcast

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Resource Links:

• Connect with David Johnson on LinkedIn
• Mentioned in this episode: Beyond the Deal: Wage a 'Negotiation Campaign' by James Sebenius; Bargaining for Advantage by G. Richard Shell
• Negotiation isn’t the only skill you need to close your next consultation. Get access to our free consultation masterclass when you join our Facebook group 

A hallmark of a great attorney is the ability to negotiate effectively. But great negotiation skills are vital beyond just the courtroom. Being able to convince and persuade can help you get what you want in both business and life.

So, if someone wanted to become a better negotiator, they would probably seek out books on the topic or learn from a master negotiator. But today’s guest makes the case that you can learn a lot about this valuable skill from an entirely unrelated field. 

David Johnson, attorney and Stanford professor, argues that design thinking can give us a leg up in negotiations in numerous ways. In fact, David designed and taught an entire course around how design impacts negotiation. 

Today, he’s sharing some key insights that will help you become more persuasive and improve negotiation outcomes - for both you and your clients. 

In this week’s podcast, David Johnson of Stanford Law School joins us to discuss how to use design thinking to achieve your negotiation goals.

David shares how design can help us navigate the ambiguity that comes with making a deal and why design as a field is not as “soft” or “fuzzy” as some may think.

There’s much more to learn in this episode about the art of persuasion, so tune in now!

In this episode: 

• 01:06 - The problem with the BATNA negotiation tactic 
• 04:40 - How design thinking impacts negotiation 
• 12:23 - How to navigate ambiguity 
• 19:30 - Using the empathy map 
• 24:00 - Inferring motivations during the negotiation
• 28:35 - Tips for going up against a skilled negotiator
• 34:00 - Inventorying what you want before the negotiation
• 39:34 - Tactical tips for first-time negotiators 

David Johnson is a lawyer, writer and professor. He teaches Advanced Negotiation at Stanford Law School, and Design Thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. Across the last 20 years he has also practiced law in Silicon Valley, primarily as General Counsel for tech companies and, most recently, a non-profit foundation.

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