This two day negotiation skills course will ensure that participants are aware of and fully understand the contribution negotiation skills can make upon the profitability or lost effectiveness of the organisations operations when negotiation skills are lacking.

Participants will also appreciate that using negotiation skills to optimise a negotiated result does not require the abandonment of a satisfactory working relationship with suppliers or customers or colleagues, etc. Outcomes do not generate a win / loose result but one of mutual benefit as befitting partners, i.e. use of negotiation skills secures long term, productive and stable relations.

This negotiation skills training course is generic in its design. For clients wanting an alternative approach we can either retain a stand alone application but with specific functional bias towards typically purchasing, industrial relations, contract management OR integrate negotiation skills with other communication topics OR incorporate it within a general management development programme.

What is negotiation?

Negotiation is the process of securing an agreement between parties with different needs and goals, but each having something to offer the other, and each benefiting from establishing an agreement, though the balance of power can be dependent upon whether one party's needs is significantly greater than the other. In such a scenario the choice is to take advantage or exercise great diplomatic skill.

How is negotiation carried out?

The process starts by attempting to ascertain the boundaries of one's own needs and those of a second party. One also attempts to discover the extent of their commitment to their goals, the resources at their disposal and the constraints operating in respect to the use of those resources. During the negotiation process one sets the parameters for the second stage that of bargaining.

This negotiation skills course examines the full process with the support of videos and exercise covering different situations and skills. These provide participants with an opportunity to discuss and practise the four stages of negotiation (prepare, discuss, propose, bargain) and consolidate their negotiation skills.

This negotiation skills programme consists of two sessions:

• the art of negotiation
• technique implementation

The first session is designed to promote participants understanding of negotiation, its elements and how it can be conducted with maximum effect in different situations.

The second session delves further into negotiation skills techniques. Participants will examine negotiation tactics, strategy, conventions and how persuasion, questioning and listening skills can be used to considerable effect.

During the negotiation skills course participants will plan, prepare and conduct in-depth negotiations, in teams and as individuals, and in a variety of situations.