A Hostage Negotiator’s Hacks To Master Communication - Scott Walker - #669

**Chris Williamson** (0:00)
Hello everybody, welcome back to the show. My guest today is Scott Walker. He's a former Scotland Yard detective, a world renowned hostage negotiator and an author. Having successfully resolved over 300 cases from hostage negotiations to piracy, ransom and cyber extortion attacks, Scott has gained deep insights into how human communication works. And today we get to find out his wildest stories and best tips. Expect to learn how the science of negotiating actually works. The questions you should ask at the beginning of a negotiation to set the tone. How you can deal with overwhelm and nerves in high pressure situations. Scott's advice for negotiating with difficult people. How to avoid the most common mistakes in an argument. And much more. Very very cool. Very much enjoyed this. Got to ask about my new favorite TV show as well, which is Hijacked. Hijack Hijacked with Idris Elba. Yeah, Scott's the real deal. He's got an illustrious history. And if you are looking to improve your communication, there is an awful lot to take away from today. This Monday coming, Alex Hormozi, back on Modern Wisdom for a three hour episode filmed in Vegas, beautiful cinema team, and it's phenomenal. It will blow your socks off. So make sure that you are ready for this Monday. In other news, this episode is brought to you by Mudwater. Mudwater is a coffee alternative with adaptogenic mushrooms and Ayurvedic herbs. It provides energy without the anxiety, jitters, or crash of coffee. The blend includes Lion's Mane for alertness, Cordyceps for physical performance, Chaga and Rishi for immune support, Turmeric for soreness, and Cinnamon for antioxidants. They are organic, Whole30 approved, 100% USDA, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, and Kosher certified. This blend can help to alleviate pain and inflammation. It's got antioxidant properties that can help improve your brain function and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Head to mudwtr.com/mw and use the code MW15 at checkout. That's mudwtr.com/mw and MW15 at checkout. In other other news, this episode is brought to you by Collars and Co. If you are a gentleman who needs to wear a dress shirt with a sweater or a quarter zip over the top to the office, you know it can be unbelievably uncomfortable. The shirts bunch up in the shoulders or around the waist. It ruins the look and makes you feel unbelievably uncomfortable. There is a solution and it's been created by Collars and Co. It's a four way stretch performance fabric polo, but the top has a firm dress collar on it. So it gives you a dress shirt look, but with an unbelievably comfortable polo feel. The guys went on to Shark Tank last year and two billionaires, Mark Cuban and Peter Jones, invested a million dollars into Collars and Co. Because these polos are a game changer for menswear. If you are spending time in the gym and getting bigger and gaining muscle, you should not be paying a price for looking good with your clothes off when you have your clothes on because nothing fits anymore and everything is too tight and uncomfortable and you hate your life. This is the solution for you. Head to collarsandco.com and use the code MW15 for 15% off your first order. That's collarsandco.com and MW15. A checkout. And in final news, this episode is brought to you by House Of Macadamias. If you are a nut lover, if there is someone that you know that is, this is, it's an absolute must try. I'm in love with the ready salted House Of Macadamias macadamia nuts. They have arguably the best fat profile, like an avocado on steroids. They've got more heart healthy, monounsaturated fat than any other nut. And they're the only nut rich in omega-7 fatty acids, which help to support natural collagen production, glucose metabolism and reduce inflammation. But most of all, and best of all, it's the fact that they taste phenomenal. They've vertically integrated with over 90 farmers to make the highest quality nuts accessible to the entire world. And they spent two years of taste testing before they released this product, which is exactly why Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan and Brett Weinstein are all massive fans of this as well. Head to houseofmacadamias.com/modernwisdom to get a free box plus 20% off the whole order if you use the code MW20 at checkout. That's houseofmacadamias.com/modernwisdom and MW20 at checkout. But now ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Scott Walker.
What is your background?

**Scott Walker** (4:45)
My background is a kidnap for ransom negotiator, or a crisis response consultant, as it's known in the industry.

**Chris Williamson** (4:54)
Kidnap for ransom. Is that a specific subset of kidnap negotiating?

**Scott Walker** (5:00)
Well, it also includes things like extortion as well, in the typical, you know, for a shop owner that a mafia used to get involved in, or maybe a cyber attack. But yeah, pretty much every single kidnapping would involve some kind of ransom demand. Hence, kidnap for ransom.