Developing Potential Australia

The skilled negotiator

Two days

A practical and enjoyable workshop packed with techniques for resolving difficult issues with bosses, colleagues, family and clients.

The workshop can be tailored to include examples from your organisation e.g. your stakeholders, products or clients.

Preparing to meet

Setting your objectives

• What are your long and short term objectives?
• What are the objectives of the other parties?
• What is your fallback position if this negotiation fails?
• What approach do you want to take e.g. collaborate or compromise?

Prioritising issues

• What have you got to offer? (expertise, staff, money, respect etc.)
• How to evaluate the importance of each issue
• Setting limits: what is the minimum you can accept for each issue?
• At what point does the fallback position look more attractive?

Planning for problems

• What are the weakest parts of your position?
• How to prepare for unexpected demands from the other party
• How will you respond to these difficult situations?

Negotiating

Getting issues on the table

• The best questions to uncover any hidden agenda: What, How, Why
• What if people don't want to tell you their agenda?

‘Trading’ issues

• How to trade issues in the right order, at the right time
• How much information should you disclose?
• How to use standards and precedents to justify your position
• Proven techniques in the gentle art of persuasion
• How to question other people’s positions without attacking them
• 3 simple ways to encourage agreement

Dealing with tactics

• What are the most common tactics e.g. good cop/bad cop?
• What are the dangers of using tactics when trying to build a relationship?
• How to respond calmly and respectfully to tactics or threats
• How to control your emotions under pressure
• What is the simplest way to neutralise any tactic?
• Simple techniques to buy yourself time to think during a discussion
• How to use questions to force people to justify unreasonable demands

Concluding

• How to summarise the final outcome
• What should be recorded in writing e.g. in minutes or a follow-up email?

Case studies

Throughout the course a variety of case studies, exercises and team role plays are used to practice the techniques. There is also plenty of time for participants to raise
specific issues and work out strategies to resolve them.

Download PDF version.