{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Do Salespeople Need FBI Hostage Negotiation Skills?","description":" In this episode of The Sales Today Podcast, Fred Copestake is joined by Sebastian Hidalgo, co-founder of DURINDAL and creator of the SWAT method - a sales framework influenced by hostage negotiation principles.   Fred admits he\u2019s often sceptical when crisis negotiation gets blended with commercial sales, so this becomes a lively, grounded conversation: what genuinely transfers, what doesn\u2019t, and how to use \u201chostage\u201d techniques ethically to improve trust, discovery, and positioning.   What you\u2019ll hear in this episode Sebastian\u2019s unusual origin story: becoming a certified hostage negotiator at 18 The persistence it took to get accepted into training as a civilian and young applicant How later PSYOPs (psychological operations) training triggered an \u201caha\u201d moment: he\u2019d been applying negotiation principles in business without realising it Why Sebastian believes there\u2019s a gap between negotiation books (e.g. Never Split the Difference) and practical sales structure Fred\u2019s perspective: crisis negotiation \u2260 commercial negotiation - and why that matters   The SWAT Method in a nutshell Sebastian explains SWAT as a four-stage sales method designed to: Earn trust faster Create positioning in real time - not just against competitors, but against the buyer\u2019s past failed attempts with similar solutions The four stages are: Influence Diagnosis Failure Mapping Value Alignment (what most people would call \u201cthe close\u201d, though Sebastian avoids that framing) Influence + Diagnosis + Failure Mapping sit mainly in what traditional sales calls \u201cdiscovery\u201d, but with more emphasis on trust, relevance, and reducing friction.   Where the \u201chostage\u201d skills show up (without the Hollywood nonsense) Sebastian\u2019s view: you don\u2019t need dramatic tactics - you need fundamentals executed well. Key transferable skills include: Listening (with intent - often reinforced by taking notes) Active listening + mirroring (what intelligence work calls elicitation: helping people talk themselves deeper into the real issue) Staying calm under pressure Reading the person in front of you (tone, pacing, reactions) rather than hiding behind slides He also highlights the need for flexible creativity - adapting your knowledge to the buyer\u2019s reality in the moment.   Key takeaway The value isn\u2019t \u201chostage negotiation theatre.\u201d It\u2019s using proven human skills - listening, trust-building, uncovering blockers early, and positioning through relevance  to make sales feel less \u201cgross\u201d and more like service.   Connect with Sebastian \u00b7         LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/sebastian-dp-hidalgo Email: sebastian@durindal.com Website: https:\/\/www.durindal.com     Follow Fred: https:\/\/linktr.ee\/fredcopestake   Watch this episode on YouTube: https:\/\/youtu.be\/-IP6Z7zU9Rg   Watch Fred\u2019s FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https:\/\/bit.ly\/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers   Useful resources Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard \u2013 free Check how well your sales approach fits today\u2019s buying environment https:\/\/collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com\/   ","author_name":"Sales Today","author_url":"http:\/\/throughpartnering.libsyn.com\/website","html":"