When the Issue Is Price – and When It Is Life

The fundamental differences between police crisis negotiation and business negotiation

We use the word negotiation in very different situations. A manager negotiates the price of a contract, an employee negotiates a salary, a diplomat negotiates the terms of an agreement – and a police negotiator talks to a person standing on a ledge, an armed offender barricaded in an apartment, or someone holding hostages.

At first glance, it always seems the same: two parties communicate and try to influence what happens next to achieve a desired outcome. Yet the similarity ends much sooner than it may seem.

Police crisis negotiation and business negotiation use many of the same communication tools. Both worlds use active listening, questions, paraphrasing, silence, empathy, rapport-building, identifying the other party’s motivation, and recognizing the real interests behind stated demands.

However, the context in which these tools are used differs fundamentally.

This distinction matters. An excellent business negotiator does not automatically become an excellent crisis negotiator. The reverse is also true.

The same communication tools can serve a completely different purpose in a different context.

In business negotiations, both parties usually enter the process to gain something. A buyer wants to buy, and a seller wants to sell. An employer needs an employee, and an applicant wants a job. Two companies discuss prices, terms of cooperation, deadlines, responsibilities, or risk allocation.

They do not have to trust or like each other. They may use relatively hard tactics against one another. Even so, they usually have common ground: both parties have a reason to negotiate.

That may not be the case in police crisis negotiations.

A person in crisis often has no need to reach any agreement, except in hostage or kidnapping situations. They may want to die. They may be intoxicated, desperate, aggressive, or highly emotionally distressed. They may see the police as the enemy. They may not know exactly what they want. Their demands may change within minutes or contradict one another.

I see a fundamental difference in emotional intensity and possible consequences. A business negotiator does not usually face someone who may die by suicide or harm another person if no agreement is reached. A police negotiator, by contrast, communicates with a person under acute stress whose actions may have tragic consequences. The negotiator must first reduce the emotional intensity so that constructive communication can begin and a safe space can be created.

A business negotiator can prepare thoroughly for a meeting. They know the other party, understand what will be discussed, and have defined their conditions and limits. Both parties usually seek an outcome they can accept. A police negotiator often has no comfort. They must improvise, respond to emotions immediately, and may not even know who they are dealing with.

Police and business negotiation are most similar in kidnapping cases, when the negotiator communicates with the kidnappers while also working with the victim’s family. Careful preparation and disciplined work with demands, time, and conditions are crucial. Negotiators who specialize exclusively in kidnappings may therefore resemble business negotiators more closely than police negotiators operating directly at scenes with varying levels of danger. In some cases, an experienced negotiator without a police background may also provide valuable expertise.