Soule: How to Win an Argument With an 800-Pound Steer

We were moving cattle into the holding pen when Shamus, a 3-year-old Scottish Highland steer, stopped, turned, and looked me dead in the eye. The message was clear: "I'd like to go back to my pasture now, thanks. Not into your pen."

So how do you change the mind of an 800-pound bovine?

Subscribe

Simple. Psychology.

The trick is simple: make your idea feel like his. Do that, and you win more often.

It’s negotiation, and Chris Voss, author of "Never Split the Difference," writes it: "Negotiation is coaxing, not overcoming; co-opting, not defeating.

Most importantly, successful negotiation involves getting your counterpart to do the work for you; to suggest your solution himself."

So how do you get a steer to change his mind?

Click here to learn the secrets of Cow Psychology.

Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm in Loudon, N.H., where you can have an Ultimate Cow Experience and hug Finn, a Highland steer. Carole can be reached at carole@cow-coach.com.