Negotiation Skills
Negotiation is a commonplace activity that everyone does on a regular basis. From very young we learn how to get our own way. But despite the fact that we all do it, we often don’t recognise it for what it is. It’s easy to describe it as something else, such as just ‘a bit of give and take’. It’s also easy to confuse it with other activities such as joint problem solving or power games of dominance and submission.
A traditional view of workplace negotiations is of a competitive encounter in which each side has their own objective to win. This has encouraged a rather intimidating impression of the whole process and the skills required to come out on top. More recently however, people have begun to realise that they need to develop the skills and knowledge of an effective process which will establish a commitment from both sides to the final agreement.
Individuals wishing to improve their ability to negotiate are often interested in finding ways to:
- Follow a simple but effective model, or process of negotiation that leads logically to a satisfactory outcome
- Improve their preparation, making the most of the time they have by considering the most important issues
- Develop a range of practical strategies to positively influence others in negotiation
- Understand and utilise typical verbal and non-verbal behaviours in negotiations to achieve positive outcomes
- Close their negotiations effectively, and how to deal with any untimely closing strategies used by others
Although we all learn to negotiate from a young age, effective negotiating at work involves the application of a range of key inter-personal skills. The most successful negotiators will have developed and honed their skills, and will know when and how to put them to good use.
"Negotiation is the art of letting them have your way (for their reasons!)" Daniele Vare - Italian Author and Diplomat
How to spot effective negotiation
Are the people involved:
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Prepared - have they taken sufficient time to consider the negotiation: what they want from it, what the other person wants from it, what the best overall approach might be, and how to deal with any specific issues or difficulties?
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Interested in the on-going relationship - do they deliberately and overtly create and maintain a genuine empathetic rapport and seek win-win outcomes?
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Avoiding manipulative tactics - do they allow the other person to have control and freedom to express their concerns, specify their needs and make their own decisions?
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Communicating clearly - do they indicate the benefits of their ideas to the other person, and are they able to neutralise resistance through active listening and creative problem solving?
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Responsive - are they flexible in their approach, matching it to the needs of the other person and the situation, and seeking alternative methods when necessary?
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Successful - are they able to reach agreement on a deal that encompasses all the issues raised by each side, and are they never satisfied with reluctant compliance?
Negotiation Skills Training from H2
Our negotiation skills training is designed to empower our delegates to become more effective negotiators and team players, by developing their ability to use constructive negotiation skills and strategies. We aim to strike a balance between presenting essential background information, and facilitating participative exercises and discussions that are both challenging and motivating, and that enable useful learning to take place that can be directly applied back in the workplace.
We can deliver negotiation skills training virtually, or at a venue of your choice, for any number of participants.
Ready-to-Go Courses: Over the past 24 years, we've worked hard to devise and develop a range of courses that suit the broad needs of our customers. Ready-to-Go course titles relating to the topic of negotiation include:
- Negotiation Skills
- Influencing Skills
- Meeting Skills
- Influencing Skills
- Emotional Intelligence
- Assertiveness
- Conflict Management
- Sales Skills
- Customer Service
Bespoke Courses: If you have something more specific in mind, we can design and deliver a tailored course for you. Following a short pre-course consultation, we'll put together a course programme that reflects your specified priorities, and that includes exercises based on real-life case studies/scenarios.
One-to-One Training: We also offer negotiation skills training for those who may benefit from the undivided attention of our trainer. These one-to-one sessions are entirely focused on the specific needs/interests of the delegate, and are extremely well received for achieving lasting learning and observable improvements.
No-obligation Quote
Please CONTACT US today - just give us a brief outline of what you're looking to achieve, the number of participants and the proposed location, and we'll get back to you shortly.