Negotiation Skills Training
In business, you often have to negotiate with other people. Maybe though, you have never been taught the proper principles of negotiation.
Negotiation is defined as:
"The process of gaining an agreement where all parties can arrive at a mutually beneficial and sustainable solution.
It is a transaction where both have a veto over the final outcome. It requires voluntary consent on all sides."
Negotiation Skills Training Course
Our in-house negotiation skills course covers the following:
1. Be clear about what you want.
Write it down.
Know too, what you do not want.
Knowing what you want is the critical step. Be specific.
Know why you want it.
2. In negotiations, don't just agree to the first proposal.
Saying "yes" to their first offer may leave you open to lose/win solution.
3. Maintain your principles.
Honesty in all your dealings, is the first principle.
The second principle here is trade. You are not there to give your stuff away.
Something for something. Not something for nothing.
4. Once agreed, stick to the agreement.
If the other person wants to change the package, the terms must change too.
Use the magic phrase, "Yes. But only if......"
Ensure you have a list of your negotiable variables.
5. Watch for bargaining activity just before a deadline.
Deadlines can produce extra leverage, which can be used to gain an extra concession. So be emotionally prepared to use this fact, or resist it.
6. Avoid trying to "drive a hard bargain" by unnecessarily tough talk.
It may be seen as intransigence by the other side.
Take a tough position but keep your style professional and relaxed.
"Tough talk" in the sense of needless over-assertiveness, is bad for business.
7. Record the details of each negotiation.
Always record the details of negotiations, in writing. In case of a later dispute, what you write down may one day be useful information.
8. Always maintain respect for the other person's identity as you question his/her proposition.
Always be polite. Never be rude to anyone.
9. Think Win/Win.
If it is to be sustainable, then there has to be genuine value in the solution for both parties.
The basis of win/win is rational, tough, fair-trading.
10. Keep an eye on your emotional state.
Stay relaxed and focused. Keep your cool.
Benefits of Negotiation Skills Training
Our one-day in-house negotiation skills course will show you exactly how to prepare for a successful negotiation process.
On this course, you will be provided with effective, practical negotiating skills. You will be able to use these skills immediately to improve your results.
Negotiation skills training will enable your team to get the best possible results from any negotiation situation.
We have designed this course to be well-structured, informative and fun.
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Negotiation
In business, negotiation is a process in which two or more parties, each free to refuse the deal, exchange proposals, concessions and rational arguments so they can settle on terms that give fair and lasting value to everyone involved.
CG4D Definition
Context: Business
Genus: Process
- Involves two or more parties with separate aims or interests
- Each party keeps the right to accept or reject the outcome
- Seeks an agreement that delivers mutual, lasting value
- Moves forward through structured talk, offers and trade-offs
Article Summary
Skilled negotiators plan with clear goals, trade value not favours, stay calm and polite, and seek deals that let both sides win; grasp these ten rules and every talk becomes a chance to build profit and trust.

