Negotiation Skills Training Course

1. Introduction to Negotiation

1.1 Negotiation Fundamentals

• Definition and scope of negotiation including (formal agreements, informal discussions, internal negotiations, external negotiations)

• Negotiation versus other conflict resolution methods including (mediation, arbitration, litigation)

• Key negotiation concepts including (BATNA, WATNA, reservation point, ZOPA)

• Ethical considerations in negotiation including (honesty, transparency, fairness, long-term relationships)

• The Harvard Negotiation Project framework including (people, interests, options, criteria)

1.2 Negotiation Styles and Approaches

• Competitive versus collaborative negotiation including (distributive bargaining, integrative bargaining)

• Negotiation style assessment including (accommodating, avoiding, compromising, competing, collaborating)

• Cultural influences on negotiation including (communication patterns, decision-making processes, relationship emphasis)

• Power dynamics in negotiations including (positional power, expert power, relationship power)

• Situational adaptation including (flexibility, style matching, strategic selection)

2. Negotiation Preparation and Planning

2.1 Strategic Preparation

• Objective setting including (must-have outcomes, desired outcomes, ideal outcomes)

• Stakeholder analysis including (identifying parties, interests mapping, influence assessment)

• Information gathering including (market research, counterpart background, historical precedents)

• BATNA development including (alternative identification, strengthening alternatives, walk-away points)

• Risk assessment including (potential obstacles, deal-breakers, contingency planning)

2.2 Negotiation Planning

• Strategy formulation including (opening positions, concession patterns, value creation opportunities)

• Team composition and roles including (lead negotiator, subject matter experts, observers, note-takers)

• Agenda development including (topic sequencing, time allocation, procedural agreements)

• Authority and mandate clarification including (decision-making limits, approval requirements, escalation protocols)

• Documentation preparation including (proposals, supporting materials, contract templates)

3. Communication Skills for Negotiators

3.1 Effective Communication Techniques

• Active listening skills including (paraphrasing, clarifying questions, summarizing, non-verbal cues)

• Questioning strategies including (open-ended questions, probing questions, hypothetical scenarios)

• Assertive communication including (expressing needs clearly, respectful disagreement, boundary setting)

• Non-verbal communication including (body language, eye contact, tone of voice, spatial awareness)

• Rapport building including (mirroring, common ground identification, trust establishment)

3.2 Persuasion and Influence

• Persuasion principles including (reciprocity, commitment, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity)

• Framing techniques including (positive framing, perspective shifting, reframing objections)

• Storytelling in negotiation including (case examples, analogies, emotional connections)

• Handling objections including (acknowledgment, exploration, bridging, reframing)

• Building compelling arguments including (evidence-based reasoning, logical structure, emotional appeals)

4. Principled Negotiation Methodology

4.1 Separating People from Problems

• Emotional intelligence in negotiation including (self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills)

• Managing emotions including (anger management, frustration tolerance, stress reduction)

• Building working relationships including (respect demonstration, professionalism, collaboration signals)

• Dealing with difficult personalities including (aggressive negotiators, passive behaviors, manipulation)

• Conflict de-escalation techniques including (cooling-off periods, neutral language, perspective acknowledgment)

4.2 Focusing on Interests Not Positions

• Interest identification techniques including (the five whys, interest mapping, underlying needs exploration)

• Distinguishing positions from interests including (surface demands, deeper motivations, fundamental concerns)

• Multiple interest accommodation including (priority ranking, trade-off analysis, package deals)

• Hidden interests discovery including (observation, indirect questioning, behavioral analysis)

• Interest-based problem solving including (collaborative brainstorming, value creation, joint gains)

5. Creating Value in Negotiations

5.1 Generating Options

• Brainstorming techniques including (individual preparation, group ideation, judgment suspension)

• Expanding the pie including (resource addition, timeline flexibility, scope modification)

• Logrolling and trade-offs including (differential valuation, priority exchanges, concession linking)

• Contingent agreements including (conditional terms, performance-based provisions, risk sharing)

• Post-settlement settlements including (continued improvement, relationship development, future opportunities)

5.2 Using Objective Criteria

• Criteria identification including (market standards, industry benchmarks, precedents, expert opinions)

• Fair standards application including (independent criteria, mutual acceptability, principled justification)

• Legitimacy building including (external validation, procedural fairness, transparent reasoning)

• Avoiding arbitrary positions including (objective justification, reasoned arguments, data-driven decisions)

• Criteria negotiation including (standard selection, application methodology, interpretation agreement)

6. Negotiation Tactics and Countermeasures

6.1 Common Negotiation Tactics

• Anchoring and adjustment including (first offer impact, extreme positions, reference point setting)

• Good cop/bad cop including (role division, pressure application, relief provision)

• Time pressure tactics including (deadlines, urgency creation, delay strategies)

• Information manipulation including (selective disclosure, bluffing, misdirection)

• Emotional tactics including (anger displays, guilt induction, sympathy appeals)

6.2 Defensive Strategies

• Recognizing manipulative tactics including (pattern identification, behavioral cues, inconsistency detection)

• Responding to pressure including (timeout requests, reality testing, principled responses)

• Calling out unethical behavior including (direct addressing, consequence clarification, ethical standards)

• Maintaining composure including (emotional control, professional demeanor, strategic thinking)

• Walking away gracefully including (relationship preservation, door-opening statements, future possibilities)

7. Closing and Implementing Agreements

7.1 Reaching Agreement

• Identifying agreement readiness including (convergence signals, acceptance indicators, final objections)

• Concession strategies including (conditional concessions, reciprocal exchanges, final offers)

• Trial closes including (assumptive language, hypothetical agreements, partial commitments)

• Addressing last-minute issues including (final concerns, additional requests, renegotiation attempts)

• Agreement documentation including (written confirmation, detailed terms, signature processes)

7.2 Implementation and Follow-up

• Agreement implementation planning including (action items, responsibility assignment, timeline establishment)

• Communication of outcomes including (stakeholder notification, internal alignment, public announcements)

• Monitoring compliance including (performance tracking, milestone reviews, issue resolution)

• Relationship maintenance including (post-negotiation contact, satisfaction assessment, partnership building)

• Learning and improvement including (negotiation review, success analysis, skill development)

8. Case Studies & Group Discussions

• Regional business scenarios including (contract negotiations, vendor agreements, partnership discussions, salary negotiations)

• The importance of proper training in developing effective negotiation capabilities