COURSE OVERVIEW
Negotiation is a critical yet often underestimated skill in business and organizational leadership. Effective negotiation can enhance reputation and achieve exceptional outcomes, while poorly executed deals may result in missed opportunities or unmet expectations. This course provides participants with practical strategies to bridge gaps in negotiations, create win-win outcomes, and advance from “acceptable” to truly successful agreements.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Define, prepare for, and succeed in various high-profile negotiation scenarios
- Recognize opportunities to bridge gaps in proposals and resolve disputes effectively
- Manage conflict using five proven coping strategies
- Anticipate and counter the tactics and strategies of opposing negotiators
- Apply power, assertiveness, and determination to gain advantage in bargaining
- Minimize the risk of implementation failure by learning from past experiences and case studies
TARGET AUDIENCE
This course is ideal for professionals involved in:
- Leading negotiation strategies
- Sales, procurement, and marketing
- Contract management or client relationship roles that require advanced negotiation skills
TRAINING METHODOLOGY
The course is highly interactive, combining practical exercises, simulations, and role-playing in a safe, “no-risk” environment. Participants will have opportunities to apply techniques, share experiences, and receive coaching feedback.
Pre- and post-course assessments will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the training and measure participant skill development.
COURSE CONTENTS
Module 1 – The Why and How of Negotiation
Key Topics:
- Personal impact factors in persuading and influencing others
- Nine techniques to enhance personal influence
- Alternatives to negotiation for saving time and resources
- Common causes of poor negotiation outcomes
- Characteristics of skilled negotiators and how to develop them
- Cultural and international considerations affecting negotiations
- Key phases of successful negotiation
- Planning objectives and understanding the other party’s motives and limits
- Practical one-to-one negotiation exercises
- Personal assessment through observation, feedback, and reflection
Module 2 – Bridging the Gap and Overcoming Obstacles
Key Topics:
- Building flexibility into proposals
- Opening strategies to establish a positive negotiation atmosphere
- Methods for creating and sustaining trust
- Conducting needs analysis to strengthen negotiation leverage
- Eight tactics to progress agreements
- Using concessions strategically without showing weakness
- Establishing a productive bargaining environment
- Analyzing power dynamics and dependency relationships
- Breaking negotiation impasses
- Understanding perception factors in negotiation
- Pair-based negotiation exercises with feedback
- Personal inventory of interactive and persuasive skills
Module 3 – Negotiating Through Conflict
Key Topics:
- Push/pull communication and persuasion styles
- Managing stereotypical behaviors and avoiding “deal-breakers”
- Non-verbal communication: reading and analyzing cues
- Problem-solving approaches in negotiation
- Positional vs. principled negotiation strategies
- Recognizing conflict patterns and applying countermeasures
- Five approaches for handling threatening conflicts, including behavior guidance for both sides
- Setting new objectives in changing environments
- Task-centered vs. people-centered negotiation approaches
- Advanced practical exercises
Module 4 – Team Negotiation Strategies in the Real World
Key Topics:
- Roles, selection, and organization within negotiation teams
- Balancing individual and team needs
- Best practices for team size and management
- Effective goal-setting and strategy development
- Advantages and limitations of team-based negotiations
- Building team commitment and cohesion
- Managing competitive behaviors within teams
- Psychological dynamics and long-term influence strategies
- Adapting team composition to strategy and desired outcomes
- Advanced team negotiation exercises
Module 5 – Learning from Experience as a Skilled Negotiator
Key Topics:
- Achieving personal and organizational negotiation success
- Ensuring real-world application of learning
- Self-improvement strategies: focus, attention, and listening
- Scaling results using personal diaries and reflective tools
- Developing personal negotiation tactics: from detailed agendas to broad strategic approaches
- Learning from opponents and organizational experiences
- Continuing development through personal action plans and checklists
