Course Methodology

The course uses a mix of interactive techniques, such as brief presentations by the consultant and the participants, role plays (rehearsed and impromptu), self-assessment questionnaires, relevant videos, and multiple simulation games.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Assess their own negotiating strengths and weaknesses and those of the other side to optimize negotiation outcomes.
• Identify areas of weakness in understanding to prepare a good negotiation plan.
• Master the process of sales negotiation to achieve long-lasting and mutually profitable agreements on timely-basis.
• Use a variety of skills necessary to conduct successful negotiations
• Apply the concessions management process with minimum loss while preserving good relationship with the counter party. 

Target Audience

Marketing and sales professionals, corporate executives, advertising managers, business development managers, sales personnel, purchasers, and others who are involved in commercial and negotiation activities at all levels of the organization.

Target Competencies

• Handling rejection
• Gaining commitment
• Negotiation tactics
• Negotiation planning
• Concession management
• Problem solving 

What Negotiation Is Really All About

• The many faces of a negotiation
• Some negotiation philosophies
• The urge for being a good negotiator
• Persuasion versus negotiation
• Self-assessment: The “Negotiating Style Profile”

Setting the Stage: Pre-negotiation Preparation    

• Understanding your own personal strengths and weaknesses
• Developing your emotional intelligence
• Characteristics of a good negotiator
• The five stages of the negotiation process
• Barriers to effective negotiation
• Team negotiation: when to use a team 
• Exercise: How to negotiate effectively (work template)

Mastering commercial negotiation  

• Selling versus negotiating
• The 7 milestones of the sales process
• Identifying the different buyer's roles
• The "Buyer's Decision Process
• Strategies for the phases of the buyer's decision process
• Strategies for the "Recognition of Needs" phase
• Strategies for the "Evaluation of Options" phase 
• Strategies for the "Resolution of Concerns" phase 
• The SPIN selling model 
• Situation questions
• Problem/Opportunity questions
• Implication questions
• Need-payoff questions
• Simulation game: the "war room"

Negotiation Tools for Success

• Creativity and problem solving techniques
• The importance of creativity in negotiation
• Creativity tools
• Creativity: self-assessment instrument 
• Decision making techniques
• Communication skills:
• Active listening skills
• The outcomes of asking questions
• The art of asking questions
• Conflict management styles
• Workshop: Breaking the negotiation impasse using creativity

Concession Management, Tactics and counter-measures

• Different levels of negotiation rules
• Preparing “The Envelope of Negotiation”
• Mastering the “Rule of Halves”
• Setting a concession-making timeline
• Sorting negotiable issues and creating alternatives
• The most common negotiating mistakes
• Advanced negotiation tactics
• Simulation game: one-to-one negotiation using a grade point average