Chris Voss · printable PDF
Never Split the Difference cheat sheet
People search for a Never Split the Difference cheat sheet PDF because the book is a field manual — and field manuals need a one-pager. This is mine. I use these moves in high-stakes workplace conversations, not hostage rooms. Print it. Take it into the next negotiation.
Notes by Toby Sinclair. Pair with the full Never Split the Difference summary.
What's on the sheet
- 01 MirrorsRepeat the last one to three words they said.
- 02 LabelsName the emotion or dynamic you think you are seeing.
- 03 Tactical empathyDescribe their world accurately enough that they say "that's right."
- 04 That's right — not you're rightSummarise their position until they confirm it as their own.
- 05 Calibrated questionsAsk how / what questions that make them solve your problem.
- 06 Accusation auditSay the worst things they could think about you first.
- 07 No-oriented questionsAsk a question they can safely say no to.
- 08 Don't compromiseRefuse the one-black-shoe, one-brown-shoe deal.
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Sales practice
You've just read how to negotiate. Reading isn't practising.
Never Split the Difference is useful until your heart rate goes up. Rehearse a cold call, a negotiation, or a close against an AI counterpart — then use it when the deal is live.