In this episode, one of our expert hostage negotiators describes how they calmed an armed criminal trapped in a bank with a hostage.   When dealing with incidents of this nature it is critical to reduce the stress of the person that the negotiators are engaging with.  These techniques apply equally to any stressful conversations, where there is a threat to a person's safety, control and certainty.  Planning for these conversations helps manage and mitigate the risks to both parties and ensures the conversation is a successful one.