In today’s fast-paced global economy, effective negotiation is a core professional skill. It can dramatically shape the success of individuals and organizations alike. Natalie Reynolds is one of the most influential thought leaders in this field. She is an internationally recognized expert on negotiation and leadership strategy. Throughout her career, she has worked to break down traditional barriers. She promotes a more inclusive, ethical, and psychologically grounded approach to bargaining. Natalie Reynolds has redefined what it means to “make a deal.” Through her consulting firm, educational programs, and acclaimed book, she inspires and empowers a new generation of negotiators worldwide.
A Career Defined by Strategic Thinking and Inclusivity
Natalie Reynolds began her career with a strong academic and professional foundation in law. This background shaped her analytical thinking and her appreciation for complex systems. However, her transition from law into negotiation and consultancy set her on a groundbreaking path. She noticed that fear, misconceptions, and exclusion often surrounded bargaining. Determined to change this, she aimed to transform negotiation from a mysterious, elite-driven process into a universal skill. Now, anyone can learn and use it effectively.
Early in her career, she held leadership roles in major global firms. She had a senior position at Accenture, working on high-stakes negotiations across multiple continents. These experiences revealed a recurring theme: negotiation was often dominated by outdated, aggressive tactics. These tactics favored short-term wins over sustainable outcomes. Natalie Reynolds saw an opportunity not just to improve negotiation results, but to shift the entire cultural framework where they happened.
The Birth of advantageSPRING and a New Negotiation Model
Driven by her vision, Reynolds founded advantageSPRING, a global negotiation consultancy. It works with Fortune 500 companies, government bodies, nonprofits, and educational institutions. The organization focuses on developing negotiation skills through psychology, flexibility, and equity. Under her leadership, Advantage SPRING has gained a reputation for innovative, research-backed training. The programs emphasize understanding human behavior, effective communication, and emotional intelligence.
Instead of teaching traditional “win-lose” tactics, Reynolds and her team focus on helping professionals achieve better outcomes. They do this by encouraging listening, building trust, and identifying shared value. The strategies she promotes are more humane and more effective over time. This is especially true in high-stakes environments where relationships matter.
Natalie Reynolds: A Bestselling Author and Respected Thought Leader
In 2016, Natalie Reynolds published her book We Have a Deal: How to Negotiate with Intelligence, Flexibility, and Power. The book quickly became a go-to resource for professionals. It offers practical, accessible, and powerful tools for negotiating in business and life. It stands out in the crowded field of negotiation literature. This is because it breaks down complex theories into easy-to-apply concepts. The tone is clear and empathetic. It is filled with real-life examples, behavioral insights, and strategies. These reflect Reynolds’s extensive experience.
The book’s impact was significant. It was shortlisted for the Chartered Management Institute’s “Management Book of the Year” and widely praised for making negotiation less intimidating for readers. With We Have a Deal, Natalie Reynolds not only reached thousands of readers but also reinforced her belief that anyone, regardless of background, can become a confident and effective negotiator.
Natalie Reynolds: Championing Diversity and Empowerment in Negotiation
A defining feature of Natalie Reynolds’ work is her commitment to empowering underrepresented voices in negotiation. Recognizing that women and marginalized groups are often socialized to avoid confrontation and undervalue themselves, Reynolds created The Make Your Ask Project—a campaign focused on helping individuals, particularly women, develop the confidence and skill to advocate for their worth.
Through workshops, keynotes, and mentoring, Reynolds encourages participants to see negotiation not as an act of aggression, but as a conversation about value, respect, and opportunity. Her efforts have helped shift workplace cultures toward a more balanced and inclusive approach, where people from all walks of life feel empowered to speak up, ask questions, and push for fairness.
Reynolds is also a sought-after advisor to international bodies, including the United Nations, UK Government, European Investment Bank, and multinational organizations. She has played a role in shaping policies and educational programs that address gender inequality, economic empowerment, and leadership development, always with negotiation at the center of her philosophy.
Academic Influence and International Recognition
In 2017, Natalie Reynolds was named Honorary Visiting Professor at Cass Business School (now known as Bayes Business School), a reflection of her profound influence in the field of negotiation and leadership. In this role, she has helped bring real-world experience into the academic sphere, equipping future leaders with skills that go far beyond textbooks.
Her academic contributions are grounded in the belief that negotiation is not just a business skill—it is a life skill. Whether resolving a workplace disagreement, navigating a vendor relationship, or leading a corporate merger, effective negotiation demands empathy, clarity, and a willingness to listen. Reynolds has helped business schools and training programs around the world recognize this and evolve their curricula accordingly.
Beyond academia, she is a respected keynote speaker at global conferences and corporate events, where her messages about emotional intelligence, diversity, and negotiation consistently resonate with audiences from all industries.
Lasting Impact and a Growing Legacy of Natalie Reynolds
Natalie Reynolds’ work has fundamentally altered how people understand and practice negotiation. She has helped millions of professionals reframe negotiation not as a zero-sum battle, but as a tool for progress, inclusion, and shared success. Her contributions have brought emotional intelligence, ethics, and strategic collaboration to the forefront of negotiation education.
Through advantageSPRING, her books, academic involvement, and consulting work, Reynolds continues to influence how business and government leaders around the world approach high-stakes conversations. And perhaps more importantly, she sparked a broader cultural shift—one where people recognize negotiation belongs not to the loudest voice in the room, but to anyone who learns, prepares, and engages.
Conclusion
Natalie Reynolds stands at the forefront of a new era in negotiation. Through a career defined by intelligence, empathy, and action, she has inspired countless individuals to reimagine how they advocate for themselves and others. Her work continues to shape policy, education, and corporate culture around the world, making negotiation not just a business tool but a force for positive change.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Who is Natalie Reynolds?
Natalie Reynolds is a globally recognized negotiation expert, author, and the founder of advantageSPRING. She is known for promoting ethical, inclusive, and psychologically informed negotiation strategies.
Q2: What is Natalie Reynolds’ professional background?
She began her career in law and held senior roles in global firms like Accenture before founding her negotiation consultancy. Her diverse background informs her holistic and strategic approach to negotiation.
Q3: What is the advantage of SPRING?
Natalie Reynolds founded advantageSPRING, a global consultancy that delivers innovative negotiation training and strategy to organizations, governments, and professionals.
Q4: What is her book, We Have a Deal, about?
We Have a Deal is a practical, accessible guide to modern negotiation. It focuses on how to negotiate with intelligence, flexibility, and power, while emphasizing ethical and empathetic approaches.
Q5: How has Natalie Reynolds contributed to gender equality in negotiation?
Through initiatives like The Make Your Ask Project, Reynolds empowers women and underrepresented groups to advocate for themselves, ask for what they deserve, and approach negotiation with confidence.
Q6: Where has she provided her expertise?
Reynolds has advised the United Nations, UK Government, European Investment Bank, and several multinational corporations. Her training has impacted leaders across the public and private sectors globally.
Q7: What makes her negotiation approach unique?
Her approach combines psychological insight, emotional intelligence, and ethical practices to create strategies that are sustainable, inclusive, and effective in both business and everyday life.
Q8: How can individuals benefit from her methods?
Anyone can apply her principles to improve negotiation skills by preparing effectively, listening actively, staying flexible, and aiming for win-win outcomes rather than adversarial standoffs.
