Negotiate Like the FBI: Sales Psychology for Startup Founders

What happens when an FBI-trained negotiation coach brings elite sales psychology into the startup world? You get a masterclass in influence, integrity, and investor persuasion. Today’s episode of Startuprad.io features Matthias Bullmahn, a crisis negotiation expert, former Accenture executive, and storytelling coach — here to show founders how to negotiate like pros and scale without manipulation. What You'll Learn: How to apply BATNA to investor negotiations and enterprise sales The 3 killer words ruining most pitches — and what to say instead Why founders fail when they ignore buyer psychology and emotional triggers How to use the Motive Compass to close deals faster How AI fits (and fails) in human-centric sales strategies Guest Spotlight: Matthias Bullmahn is one of Germany’s leading voices in ethical sales psychology, negotiation, and strategic communication. He’s trained with the former heads of the FBI and Scotland Yard, founded a department at Accenture focused on agile transformation, and today advises founders, corporates, and investors on emotionally intelligent deal-making. Now It Is Up To YOU: If you’re a founder, executive, or investor who values clear strategy over sales fluff, this episode is your playbook. Subscribe to Startuprad.io on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, leave us a 5-star review, and share this episode with someone negotiating their next big deal. 🚀Our Sponsor 👉 Struggling with small biz finances? Tide’s free account + up to €400 cashback makes it a no-brainer: tide.co/Podcastsde – use code STARTUPRADIO 📌 Show NotesGuest Name: Matthias Bullmahn, Sales Psychologist & Strategic Communications Expert Related Blog Posts on Startuprad.io: 🎙️ Mastering Startup Negotiation Tactics: Sales Psychology Meets FBI Playbooks 🧠 BATNA for Founders: Your Ultimate Safety Net in Investor Talks 💬 3 Words That Kill Your Startup Pitch (and What to Say Instead) 📊 Case Study: Ecotech Startup Closes Investor Without Product in Market Relevant External Resources: Harvard Negotiation Project Motive Compass by Dirk Eilert (German) Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction to Matthias & FBI Training 04:54 – BATNA and Deal Power for Founders 08:45 – Ethical Sales Psychology Explained 18:55 – The Motive Compass: What Drives Buyers? 27:40 – AI in Sales: When It Works, When It Fails 39:10 – How to Win Trust in a Distracted Market 47:05 – Final Advice for Founders & Pitch Mistakes

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