Natalie Reynolds: The Negotiation Expert Who Changed How the World Makes Deals
If you’ve ever struggled to ask for a raise, close a deal, or just hold your ground in a tough conversation, you’re not alone. Most of us were never really taught how to negotiate. That’s exactly the gap that natalie reynolds has spent her career filling. She’s one of the most respected negotiation experts in the world, and her work has helped thousands of people and organizations get better outcomes, every single time.
Key Takeaways
- natalie reynolds is the founder and CEO of advantageSPRING, a global negotiation training firm
- She is a trained barrister with over 12 years of public sector experience
- Her bestselling book We Have a Deal was shortlisted for CMI Management Book of the Year 2017
- She created the five-step DEALS™ method, a practical negotiation framework
- She has trained clients at the UN, the Clinton Foundation, and major FTSE 100 companies
- She is an Honorary Visiting Professor of Negotiation at Cass Business School
- Her work focuses on making negotiation skills accessible to everyone, not just executives
Who Is Natalie Reynolds?
natalie reynolds is a globally recognized negotiation expert, bestselling author, and founder of advantageSPRING. Her career is built on one simple belief: that negotiation is a skill anyone can learn, and that better negotiators create better outcomes for everyone involved.
She didn’t start out as a negotiation trainer. She trained as a barrister, which gave her a solid grounding in argument, evidence, and persuasion. After that, she spent 12 years working in the public sector and central government. That experience gave her a real-world understanding of how decisions get made, how power works, and how organizations behave under pressure. She then moved into the private sector as a Commercial Director for a FTSE 100 company before eventually launching advantageSPRING.
Her journey from courtroom training to corporate boardrooms and government offices makes her advice unusually practical. She doesn’t teach from textbooks. She teaches from experience.
The Career Background of Natalie Reynolds
From Barrister to Business Leader
Understanding the career arc of natalie reynolds helps explain why her approach to negotiation stands out. Most negotiation coaches come from sales or academia. natalie reynolds came from law and public service.
Her time as a barrister trained her to think clearly under pressure, to structure arguments logically, and to read situations quickly. These are exactly the skills that matter most in complex negotiations. When you understand both sides of an argument, you’re in a much better position to find a deal that works.
After her legal training, she moved into government. Twelve years in public sector roles exposed her to large-scale negotiations involving budgets, contracts, policy decisions, and stakeholder management. These weren’t simple deals. They involved multiple parties, competing interests, and real consequences if things went wrong.
Moving Into the Private Sector
Before starting advantageSPRING, natalie reynolds worked as a Commercial Director for a major FTSE 100 company. This gave her direct experience in high-value business negotiations. She was sitting across from suppliers, partners, and clients, applying everything she had learned.
She also worked briefly for a competitor in the negotiation training space, delivering commercial training to executives across Europe and North America. That experience showed her what was missing in most training programs and inspired her to build something better.
What Is advantageSPRING?
The Company Natalie Reynolds Built
natalie reynolds founded advantageSPRING in 2013. The company provides specialist negotiation training to corporate clients around the world. The goal was simple: move beyond old-fashioned, aggressive tactics and offer something more intelligent, flexible, and practical.
The firm works with a wide range of organizations. Corporate clients include some of the world’s biggest companies and global brands. Government departments and public bodies have used the training. International institutions like the United Nations and the Clinton Foundation have also worked with advantageSPRING.
The business is built on the idea that negotiation doesn’t have to be aggressive or manipulative to be effective. In fact, the best negotiators are often the ones who understand people the most.
What Sets advantageSPRING Apart?
| Feature | Traditional Training | advantageSPRING Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Power and aggression | Intelligence and flexibility |
| Style | Rule-based | Situation-based |
| Audience | Senior executives only | Everyone from entry-level to C-suite |
| Core method | Fixed tactics | The DEALS™ framework |
| Outcome goal | Win-lose | Best outcome for all parties |
The company’s training has been delivered at leading business schools including LSE, Cambridge Judge Business School, and Oxford Saïd Business School. That’s not a list most training firms can match.
The DEALS™ Method Explained
Natalie Reynolds’ Five-Step Framework
One of the biggest contributions natalie reynolds has made to the field is the DEALS™ method. This is her five-step framework for approaching any negotiation with confidence and clarity.
The beauty of the DEALS™ method is that it’s not just for high-stakes business deals. It works for salary conversations, everyday disagreements, contract discussions, and even conversations with suppliers or service providers. The framework helps you slow down and think before you react.
Here’s what each letter in DEALS™ stands for:
- D – Discover: Understand the full picture before you start. What does the other party really need?
- E – Explore: Look at all the options on the table. Don’t rush to a position.
- A – Ask: Know what you want and be willing to ask for it clearly.
- L – Listen: Real listening is more than just waiting for your turn to speak.
- S – Stay: Stay in the negotiation even when it’s uncomfortable. Don’t walk away too early.
Why the DEALS™ Method Works
Most people fail at negotiation not because they’re bad at talking, but because they haven’t prepared properly. They don’t know what they actually want. They haven’t thought about what the other person wants. And when things get tense, they either become too aggressive or they fold too fast.
The DEALS™ method solves this by giving you a clear structure to work through before and during any negotiation. It’s not about being pushy. It’s about being prepared. As covered on our blog at Geekbot, preparation is often the biggest factor separating people who get what they want from those who don’t.
Natalie Reynolds and the Book “We Have a Deal”
The Bestseller That Put Her on the Map
natalie reynolds wrote We Have a Deal: How to Negotiate with Intelligence, Flexibility and Power, which became one of the most recommended negotiation books in the business world. The book was shortlisted for “Best Commuter Read” at the CMI Management Book of the Year awards in 2017.
The book doesn’t just tell you what to do. It explains why people behave the way they do in negotiations and how you can use that understanding to your advantage. That human psychology angle is what makes it different from most negotiation guides.
What the Book Covers
The book walks readers through the DEALS™ method in detail. But it goes beyond just the framework. It also covers:
- Understanding your own negotiation habits and blind spots
- Reading the room during active negotiations
- Dealing with difficult personalities and obstructive behavior
- Negotiating across cultures when working with international partners
- Overcoming fear and self-doubt in high-pressure situations
The book has been praised by readers for being easy to follow and genuinely useful. Whether you’re negotiating a multi-million dollar contract or just trying to get a better deal on your rent, the advice translates.
Natalie Reynolds on Women and Negotiation
Closing the Negotiation Gap
One of the areas where natalie reynolds has done important work is in helping women develop stronger negotiation skills. She has spoken publicly about how women are often discouraged from negotiating, either by social norms or by fear of how they will be perceived.
She appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour to discuss the impact of a lack of diversity at the negotiation table. The conversation highlighted how negotiation outcomes often differ based on who is in the room and what assumptions are made about them.
Her company, advantageSPRING, has worked with programs specifically designed to help women negotiate more effectively. The goal is not to teach women to negotiate like stereotypical alpha males, but to find their own authentic style that is equally effective.
The Make Your Ask Project
natalie reynolds also founded the Make Your Ask project. This initiative was created to make negotiation skills available to as many people as possible, not just those who work at large companies or can afford expensive executive training programs.
The project reflects a broader commitment to democratizing the skill of negotiation. Everyone negotiates. Everyone deserves the tools to do it well.
Media Presence and Public Speaking
Where You’ve Seen Natalie Reynolds
natalie reynolds has built a strong media presence over the years. She has written and been featured in major publications including:
- The Guardian
- The Financial Times
- The Huffington Post
- Stylist
- Psychologies
She has appeared on radio and TV as a negotiation expert and delivered keynote speeches and seminars at international events. Her ability to explain complex ideas in plain, practical language makes her a popular choice for both business audiences and general readers.
Teaching at Top Universities
As an Honorary Visiting Professor of Negotiation at Cass Business School, natalie reynolds brings real-world experience into academic settings. She has lectured at some of the world’s top institutions, including:
| University | Role |
|---|---|
| Cass Business School | Honorary Visiting Professor |
| London School of Economics (LSE) | Guest Lecturer |
| Cambridge Judge Business School | Speaker/Lecturer |
| Oxford Saïd Business School | Speaker/Lecturer |
Getting to teach at all four of those institutions is a rare achievement. It’s a sign of how seriously the academic world takes her expertise.
The Online Course by Natalie Reynolds
Making Negotiation Training Accessible
In addition to in-person training and the book, natalie reynolds has developed an online negotiation course. The course uses the same material that she teaches to global corporate clients, governments, and business school students, but in a format that anyone can access.
The course is hosted on Thinkific under the Make Your Ask brand. It covers the DEALS™ method in detail, with practical exercises and real-world examples. The goal is to make sure that you don’t just understand negotiation theory, you can actually apply it.
This kind of online accessibility is important. Most people never get formal negotiation training. They either pick it up through experience, or they muddle through and hope for the best. An accessible online course changes that.
Key Lessons From Natalie Reynolds on Negotiation
What You Can Apply Starting Today
Whether or not you read her book or take her course, there are some core principles from natalie reynolds that are worth knowing right now:
- Preparation is everything. Know what you want before you walk into any conversation. Know what you’re willing to accept, and where your limit is.
- Listen more than you talk. Most people spend negotiation time waiting to speak instead of actually listening. Real listening reveals information that helps you find better deals.
- Emotions are not your enemy. Feeling nervous or frustrated is normal. The key is to recognize what you’re feeling without letting it control your actions.
- Negotiation is not a fight. The best deals often happen when both sides feel they got a fair outcome. Treating negotiation as a battle usually leads to worse results.
- Ask for what you want. This sounds obvious, but many people never actually ask clearly for what they need. Vague hints don’t work. Clear, confident asks do.
- Culture matters. What works in one country or industry may not work in another. Great negotiators adapt their style to fit the situation.
Natalie Reynolds and Corporate Clients
Training the World’s Leading Organizations
The client list of natalie reynolds and advantageSPRING reads like a who’s who of global institutions. She has worked with major corporations, FTSE 100 companies, government departments, charities, and international organizations.
Working with the United Nations means negotiating in environments where the stakes are exceptionally high and the parties involved come from very different cultural backgrounds. Working with the Clinton Foundation means understanding how to navigate relationships where trust and credibility are just as important as the deal itself.
This kind of real-world diversity in her client base strengthens the quality of her training. She isn’t teaching from a narrow corporate lens. She’s teaching from a broad human lens.
Why Natalie Reynolds Still Matters in 2025
Negotiation in a Changing World
The world of work has changed dramatically in recent years. Remote negotiations, global supply chain pressures, hybrid working arrangements, and shifting job markets have all made negotiation skills more important than ever.
natalie reynolds has stayed relevant by evolving her approach. The core principles she teaches haven’t changed, because human psychology hasn’t changed. But her materials and delivery methods have adapted to meet people where they are.
Whether you’re negotiating a remote work arrangement with your employer, trying to close a contract with an overseas partner, or asking your landlord for better terms, the skills that natalie reynolds teaches apply directly to your life right now.
Natalie Reynolds: A Summary of Her Impact
What She Has Achieved
Looking at the full picture, the impact of natalie reynolds on the field of negotiation is clear. She has:
- Founded a globally respected negotiation training company
- Written a bestselling book that has helped thousands of people
- Trained some of the world’s largest and most influential organizations
- Created an accessible online course and the Make Your Ask initiative
- Taught at some of the world’s most prestigious universities
- Used her platform to advocate for more diverse and inclusive negotiation tables
- Developed a practical, human-centered framework that works in the real world
Her work proves that negotiation doesn’t have to be about power games or aggressive tactics. Intelligence, flexibility, and preparation are more powerful tools.
Conclusion
natalie reynolds has built a career around a simple but powerful idea: that anyone can become a better negotiator, and that better negotiation leads to better outcomes for everyone. From her roots in law and public service to her work with global organizations and business schools, she has consistently pushed the field forward.
Her DEALS™ method, her book We Have a Deal, and her Make Your Ask initiative all point to a person who genuinely believes that negotiation is a life skill, not just a business skill. If you haven’t explored her work yet, now is a good time to start.
Whether you’re a seasoned executive or someone who just wants to get a better deal on your next big purchase, the lessons from natalie reynolds will help you walk into any conversation with more confidence and walk out with better results.
FAQ About Natalie Reynolds
Q1: Who is natalie reynolds? natalie reynolds is a globally recognized negotiation expert, author, and founder of advantageSPRING. She is best known for her DEALS™ method and her bestselling book We Have a Deal.
Q2: What is the DEALS™ method? The DEALS™ method is a five-step negotiation framework created by natalie reynolds. The letters stand for Discover, Explore, Ask, Listen, and Stay. It helps people approach any negotiation with clarity and confidence.
Q3: What is advantageSPRING? advantageSPRING is the global negotiation training firm founded by natalie reynolds in 2013. It provides training to corporations, governments, and international institutions including the UN and the Clinton Foundation.
Q4: What book did natalie reynolds write? She wrote We Have a Deal: How to Negotiate with Intelligence, Flexibility and Power. It was shortlisted for CMI Management Book of the Year in 2017.
Q5: Where has natalie reynolds taught? She has lectured at the London School of Economics, Cambridge Judge Business School, Oxford Saïd Business School, and serves as Honorary Visiting Professor at Cass Business School.
Q6: Does natalie reynolds have an online course? Yes. She created an online negotiation course available through the Make Your Ask project on Thinkific. It is based on the same material used in her corporate training programs.
Q7: What is the Make Your Ask project? The Make Your Ask project is an initiative by natalie reynolds to make quality negotiation training available to more people, not just those at large corporations or business schools.
Q8: What makes natalie reynolds different from other negotiation experts? Her background in law, government, and corporate business gives her a uniquely broad perspective. She focuses on human psychology, cultural awareness, and flexible thinking rather than aggressive or manipulative tactics.
