Negotiation Skills Training

Who needs negotiating skills?

Virtually everything is negotiable. That’s what makes negotiation one of our most critical business and life skills. It’s not just the folks that deal with the money that have to negotiate, but anyone that interacts with a customer (either internal or external) will need these skills. Every employee can benefit from understanding how to identify specific needs and wants; and then act on that to achieve the best possible scenario resulting in a win-win outcome.

What does the Negotiation Skills Training  program look like?

Objective:

During this unique and engaging learning experience, all participants receive $5 cash in $1 dollar bills as they enter the classroom. During the class, learners will have the chance to practice new skills and concepts as they engage in small group negotiation exercises with other participants. Each participant has the chance to double or triple (or more) their beginning dollars! Because this becomes money they will actually take home with them, learners rarely forget this experience. Some of the concepts learners will explore are: learning how to “care, but not that much”, identify “must-haves” when negotiating, explore how to “brainstorm backwards”, etc.

Program Outline:

1. Your Goal: 1 hour — Understanding what you want, and why you want it is crucial to any negotiation.  This section covers the definition and elements of conflict and negotiation, effective preparation, steps to clearly identify your goal in negotiation, as well as the tangible and intangible elements present in all negotiations.  Includes audio and video presentations, role play (but real) negotiations for real money, with emphasis at this stage on understanding and achieving your goal only.
2. Their Goal: 90 minutes — Understanding the other sides’ goal is equally important if a mutually beneficial agreement is to be found.  This section covers how to discover and anticipate the other side’s goal, including subjects such as win/win thinking, and brainstorming backwards.  Includes small and large group activities to practice focusing on the other side’s goals, positions, and interests.
3. The Obstacle: 90 minutes — The “difference” between your goal the other side’s goal is the obstacle in any negotiation.  This obstacle can be tangible and measurable, or intangible and emotional, and can be identified and understood by asking the right questions and eliciting the right information.  Active listening techniques are covered to accomplish this task.  Includes role plays, group evaluation, discussion of situational responses, listening activities, and video presentation.
4. The Target Path: 90 minutes — Only after goals and obstacles are disclosed and understood can a resolution be crafted to meet the needs and interests of the parties.  The material presented here speaks to skills and specific steps to work toward resolution, including breaking impasse and specific questions designed to foster further discussion.  Involves audio and video presentations, role plays that exhibit realistic workplace conflict and force participants to really practice the skills learned thus far.  Again, this role play is rewarded with real money.
5. Putting it all Together: 90 minutes — With the Two-Path model as a guide, this last section lets the participants use and incorporate all of the knowledge, skills, and techniques covered in the training to reach a resolution that is paid out according to goals identified and reached.  Consists of the final negotiation role play.  As before, this is paid out according to a predetermined set of criteria based on how well each participant applied the knowledge and skills presented in this course.