The Emblazers Podcast, Ep. 12: Closing Deals Smarter with Saad Saad

Get ready, folks—today’s episode of The Emblazers Show is all about your old friend (frenemy?) negotiation. We sat down with Saad Saad, a negotiation consultant, educator, and author of In The Lead: A Practical Guide to Mastering Sales Negotiations, to unpack the skills sales pros need to close deals smarter, faster, and with less stress.

Saad teaches at top universities like Columbia, coaches sales teams to think more strategically, and drops knowledge like anchoring techniques and why tension isn’t the villain you might think it is.

First, who is Saad? Let me paint you a picture: He’s the guy who walks into a room full of undecided buyers, skeptical stakeholders, and downright stubborn executives—and leaves with everyone thinking, “Wow, agreeing with him was my idea.” Basically, if conversations were chess matches, Saad would be three moves ahead of us all.

Key Takeaways (Because Who Doesn’t Love a Cheat Sheet?)

1. Negotiation Starts with Hello: Forget waiting until the end of a sales cycle—Saad emphasizes that every conversation is a negotiation. Each interaction is a chance to align priorities and set expectations. The earlier you approach it with structure, the smoother the road to closing.
2. Tension Is Your Secret Weapon: A little tension isn’t bad—it’s necessary. But not the “forgot-to-pay-your-wifi-bill” kind—the kind Saad describes as “healthy tension,” where both parties collaborate to find the best outcome. Avoiding friction completely could lead to settlements that leave value on the table.
3. No Is Just the Start of the Conversation: Saad has this magical way of seeing objections not as roadblocks but as opportunities. That dreaded “no” we’ve all heard in sales? Turns out, it’s just another way of saying, “Give me a bit more to think about.” The trick is following up with the Right Question™—one that reframes the issue and moves the conversation forward. I’m not saying Saad’s brain works on a different frequency than the rest of us, but, well, I’m also not not saying that.
4. Anchoring: Speak First, Win More: Forget the old advice about keeping quiet—to win in sales, you need to anchor the negotiation by clearly stating your goals (with confidence). If you’re not speaking first, you’re making it too easy for buyers to steamroll you. Saad’s tip: Start bold, support your ask, and sit tight to let the tension simmer just enough to make the other side take you seriously. And no, this isn’t about being stubborn; it’s about being strategic.
5. Confidence Is a Deal-Maker: One of the coolest parts of this episode? Saad’s insight on how self-assurance affects negotiation outcomes. Nobody wants to agree to a deal with someone who sounds like they’ve just Googled “how to sell something” five minutes prior. Saad explains how preparing, presenting with certainty, and believing in your value as a seller can completely flip the script—even when the stakes are high.

From Dread to Deal Maker

Saad flips the script on sales negotiations in the best way possible, showing that success comes from curiosity, preparation, and a little creative tension. If you’ve ever dreaded negotiating—or leaned too hard on discounts to close deals—this episode will completely change your perspective.

Watch the Episode

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If you got something out of this episode, give us a follow, leave a five-star review, and share the pod with a colleague who always jumps straight to discounts. They’ll thank you later. Until next time, stay sharp, Emblazers!