5 of the Best Negotiation Lessons to Learn from the Movies

Although most movies are made primarily for entertainment, top movies have long been used as learning tools. When it comes to negotiation skills, watching movies can consolidate your understanding of the strategies taught in a classroom setting.
Here are five movies that offer some great negotiating tips.

True Grit (2010)
Power imbalances are common when negotiating. In True Grit, 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) shows how preparation can help level the playing field.

Mattie wants Colonel Stonehill (Dakin Matthews) to buy back ponies he sold her father. Mattie’s knowledge about the market and the law not only gets Stonehill to take her seriously, but also helps her win the deal.

Preparation is a simple yet powerful strategy from the best negotiation training programs. Negotiators who are prepared can present their case more clearly, concisely, and with confidence. In turn, power during talks can shift in your favor.

Django Unchained

Deception can seem like fair play at the bargaining table. However, negotiating in bad faith can have unwanted consequences.
In Django Unchained, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) and Django (Jamie Foxx) try to save money on a deal with Calvin J. Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). However, Schultz and Django are negotiating in bad faith. When Candie finds out, he becomes infuriated and demands the pair pay full price. Ultimately Schultz and Candie lose their lives as a result of anger stemming from the sketchy deal.

Using any kind of dishonest tactic during talks may result in short-term gain but can cost dearly in the long term. Deception ruins your credibility and reputation, and without trust, negotiations can go wrong.

Dog Day Afternoon

Some situations can get heated when bargaining. When tempers begin to fray, not training yourself to hit the pause button can make a bad situation worse. Sergeant Moretti (Charles Durning) demonstrates this in Dog Day Afternoon.

Moretti is trying to persuade Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) to release the hostages he’s taken after a failed bank robbery. Wortzik is growing increasingly emotional, yet Moretti insists on trying to have a rational conversation. As a result, what could have been a straightforward negotiation turns into a 14-hour media circus.

Human beings are emotional creatures, and feelings can get the best of most people. Don’t get defensive or angry when you feel temperatures start to rise. Distancing yourself from the situation allows calmer heads to prevail so a rational discussion can resume.

The Negotiator

Language shapes the way people think and behave, which in turn can impact deal-making. Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) shows viewers how powerful words can be in The Negotiator.

Roman, a police officer accused of corruption and murder, starts making demands and threatens to kill the hostages he’s taken if he doesn’t get his demands met. When the negotiator on the case says no, and Roman reminds him of some fundamental bargaining rules: “Never use no, don’t, won’t, or can’t.”

In training, professionals learn that these words eliminate options. By denying Roman’s request the negotiator left only one option on the table: Kill the hostages.

So, when you disagree with someone, use language that moves the conversation forward. One way to accomplish this is with a counterproposal. For example, you can say “I have a great idea that would accomplish the same thing more easily.” This statement shows you are listening and encourages the person you’re negotiating with to listen too.

The Hijacking
When negotiating, many people focus so much on getting a result that they rush through the process. However, impatience can be a liability at the bargaining table.

In The Hijacking, it took over two months to resolve a hostage situation. Throughout the process, the pressure to wrap things up increases steadily. Peter Ludvigsen (Søren Malling), however, knows speed does not guarantee the crew’s safety. Also, giving in to the pirate’s original demand would bankrupt the company.

Patience is a tough skill to practice, especially when the situation is high stakes. However, if you can train yourself to wait, you can often get the best deal possible given all the circumstances.