It first clicked for me watching an episode of Yellowstone when Kevin Costner’s character John Dutton said, “Government is just like any other business.” That line may spark fierce debate, but this article isn’t political—because there’s no need to make unnecessary enemies. I take enough grief just being in business.
Instead, I want to arm you with negotiation skills from FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss, author of Never Split the Difference, to help you avoid common negotiation failures—whether in government, business, or technology.
Shutdown: Masterclass in What Not to Do
Government shutdowns are the ultimate example of negotiation breakdown. There’s no clear BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), no empathy, no tactical mirroring, and certainly no calibrated questions. Instead, we see:
- Extreme positions with no flexibility
- Lack of active listening
- No clear timeline or accountability
- No real understanding of the other side’s needs
Sound familiar? It should—because these same mistakes happen every day in IT negotiations.
Two Types of Business Leaders in IT Negotiation
Most leaders evaluating IT services fall into one of two categories:
- Angry – They’ve suffered a service or system failure and are now reactive.
- Unaware – They rarely evaluate IT and will eventually fall into the first group.
The first mistake? Not evaluating your current support or avoiding unvetted providers altogether.
The IT industry is unregulated. That’s why you should only use Vetted IT Support. The second dirty secret? Most providers are just resellers of big tech products, operating on razor-thin margins with questionable skill and no real value proposition.
Negotiation Mistakes in Technology
Here’s how typical IT negotiations go wrong:
- Mismatch of need vs. offer – Solution selling pushes products, not outcomes.
- No timeframe – Projects drag on with no urgency.
- No executive sponsor – Decisions are made in silos or behind the scenes.
- No budget alignment – Clients haven’t budgeted, and providers don’t know how to ask.
Chris Voss would call this a failure to build rapport and uncover the “Black Swan”—the hidden piece of information that changes everything.
Cyberist® Difference
At Matrixforce, we flip the script.
- We’re regularly 30% less than hiring your next IT person.
- You get a squad of Cyberists® trained to streamline your technology using a patent-pending process that avoids loss and improves results.
- For commodity hardware or software, we provide full specs, pricing, and manufacturer retail—so you know if it’s a good value.
- If you find a better price with the same specs? We’ll implement it. We’re not resellers—we’re your strategic partner.
Final Thought
Whether you’re negotiating with Congress or your next IT provider, remember: Never split the difference. Ask calibrated questions. Mirror. Label emotions. And most importantly—know what you’re really negotiating for.
👉 Take the 1-minute quiz to see if you’re taking an expensive game on your IT and your business. Then schedule your Cyber Risk Analysis.