The 'golden rule' of negotiation is simple - don't!
But life's rarely that simple and very often we do have to negotiate, particularly if we want to win the business and especially if we want to win it on our terms.
Such negotiations are crucial. We need to prepare for them. We need a strategy, and the skills to execute it.
Does your team have a structured approach? Is it flawlessly executed, every time? Or is there room for improvement?
This programme will help them master the six fundamentals of closing better business:
Manage all these elements well and you will win more business, more profitably.
This course will help participants:
Negotiate from a position of partnership, not competition
Deal more effectively and profitably with price objections
Identify and practise successful sales negotiating skills
Identify strengths and weaknesses as a sales negotiator
Understand different types of buyer behaviour
Learn to recognise negotiating tactics and stances
Apply a new and proven structure to their business negotiations
Identify and adapt for different behavioural styles
Be alert to unconscious (non-verbal) communication
Prepare and present a proposal at a final business negotiation stage
Project confidence and exercise assertiveness in all sales negotiations
1 Planning for successful business negotiations
This session introduces the concept of business negotiation and looks at its importance in the context of the participants' roles and activities. It briefly examines why we negotiate and the dynamics involved.
Session highlights:
What kind of a negotiator are you?
Negotiation skills self-assessment and best practice
How to establish roles and responsibilities for both parties
How to identify and set objectives for both buyer and seller
How to research and establish the other person's position (business negotiation stance)
2 How to structure your negotiations
This module presents an eight-step framework or structure for use in negotiations and considers how best to prepare and plan your negotiations within the context of a supplier/customer relationship or business cycle. It also includes a brief review of legal responsibilities and what constitutes a 'deal'.
Session highlights:
Learn and apply a formal structure to use when negotiating
How to establish short- and longer-term objectives and opportunities
How best to plan, prepare and co-ordinate a major business negotiation meeting, or on-going negotiations
Understanding of basic legal and organisational requirements
3 Verbal negotiation skills
This session examines the human and communication dynamics inherent in any negotiation situation. It emphasises the importance of professional skills in preparing for a negotiation by identifying needs, wants and requirements accurately and by qualifying the competitive and organisational influences present.
Session highlights:
How to fully 'qualify' the other party's needs, requirements and constraints during the negotiation process by using advanced questioning and listening skills
How to pre-empt negotiation objections by promoting and gaining commitment to options, benefits, value and solutions
How best to propose and suggest ideas, using drawing-out skills
4 Non-verbal negotiation skills
This module highlights how different personal styles, corporate cultures and organisation positions can influence events, and demonstrates practical methods for dealing with and controlling these factors. It also examines key principles of body language and non-verbal communication in a practical way.
Session highlights:
Gaining rapport and influencing unconsciously
Understanding the importance of non-verbal communication; reading other people's meaning and communicating effectively as a result
Ensure that non-verbal behaviour is fully utilised and observed to create maximum impact and monitor progress (eg, buying signals)
Recognising that business negotiations are precisely structured and agreements gained incrementally
5 Proposing and 'packaging'
This session highlights how best to present and package your proposal. It looks at how to pre-empt the need for negotiating by creating minor-options and 'bargaining' points, as well as how to manage the expectations and perceptions of the customer or buyer.
Session highlights:
How to identify the key variables that can be negotiated
The power and use of 'authority' within your negotiations
How to structure and present your proposal, ideas or quotation to best effect
The importance of when and how to identify and influence buyer's objections
6 Dealing with price
This module highlights how to best present and package price within your proposal or negotiation. In most cases, price has more to do with psychology than affordability and preparation and careful handling are essential.
Session highlights:
The three reasons that people will pay your asking price
How to set price in a competitive market
The key differences between selling and negotiating
Ten ways to present price more effectively and persuasively
7 Getting to 'Yes': tactics and strategies
There are many different tactics and strategies common to successful negotiators. This session looks at those that are most appropriate to the participants' own personal styles and situations. The importance of 'follow-through' is also explained and how to deal with protracted or 'stale-mate' business negotiations.
Session highlights:
How to negotiate price and reduce discounting early in the process
How to recognise negotiating tactics and strategies in your customer or supplier
Key strategies, techniques and tactics to use in negotiation
The importance of follow-through and watching the details
How to deal with stalled business negotiations or competitor 'lock-out'
8 Case studies and review
This session examines a number of different situations and participants discuss ways to approach each. This will allow learning to be consolidated and applied in a very practical way. There will also be a chance to have individual points raised in a question and answer session.
Session highlights:
Case studies
Question and answer
Planning worksheet
Negotiation 'toolkit' and check-list
9 Personal action plans
Session highlights:
Identify the most important personal learning points from the programme
Highlight specific actions and goals
Flag topics for future personal development and improvement