Negotiation Strategy and Tactics: DESCRIPTION

Negotiation Strategy and Tactics is designed for everyone who regularly negotiates in pursuit of work objectives, including those who:

• Work in sales
• Manage relationships with vendors
• Negotiate salaries and benefits with direct reports
• Negotiate for resources and support
• Coordinate with other units or departments

What is in the program?

Negotiation Strategy and Tactics presents Purposeful Negotiation Action™—a model that helps negotiators to see the big picture of each negotiation and always think a step or two ahead, developing practical plans as they proceed through the four main negotiating stages.

Figure 1. The Negotiation Stages

PRELIMINARY STAGE
The preliminary objective of the Preliminary Stage is to create a positive climate for negotiation. The parties state their values, their preferences for dealing with others, how they want to be treated, and what they would consider an ideal outcome. They set a negotiating agenda and agree on ground rules.

OPENING STAGE
The parties state their opening positions or settlement expectations. The parties then clarify one another’s positions and test for probe for firmness and flexibility.

EXPLORING STAGE
The parties explore underlying needs and test the value of alternative currencies that might be exchanged to reach a negotiated agreement.

CLOSING STAGE
The parties structure their agreement by matching alternative currencies to needs until one or both parties are willing to settle for less, or give more, of the prime currency. They then move to “contracting”: confirming their understanding, recording the agreement, and planning the actions required to ensure that the agreement will be effectively finalized and implemented.

How is the program structured?

Participants in Negotiation Strategy and Tactics first explore their own negotiating styles, then learn to analyze negotiating situations and shape their negotiating strategy and tactics to each negotiation they enter.

SELF-ASSESSMENT: The Negotiation Skills Inventory provides participants with baseline data on their performance of critical negotiation tasks. Participants use a negotiation model to determine their typical response to disagreements, their understanding of negotiation, their strengths and shortcomings as negotiators, and their personal goals for the program.

NEEDS/CURRENCY ANALYSIS: Participants examine the underlying needs which drive negotiations. They learn how to identify the prime currency of exchange in a given negotiation, as well as to recognize the value of alternative currencies. Simulations provide opportunities to practice planning for negotiation and interactive skills.

TACTICAL ANALYSIS: Participants learn tactics for carrying out each of the critical tasks of a negotiation. They formulate a General Tactical Orientation that helps them select tactics appropriate to any negotiation. Flexibility is stressed. Participants learn to use a range of tactics and to modify their approach as they go.

APPLICATION PLANNING: Participants plan and rehearse an actual negotiation that awaits them back at work so that they can put the concepts and skills from the program to immediate use.

POSITIVE NEGOTIATION MODULE: The optional Positive Negotiation Module fortifies Negotiation Strategy and Tactics with a day of training specifically to build the influence skills that can be decisive in any negotiation.

Participants complete the Negotiation Style Questionnaire to assess their typical influence behaviors when negotiating. They then engage in simulated negotiations to develop and learn to situationally apply powerful and proven influence skills.

How is the program delivered?

Negotiation Strategy and Tactics can be conducted internally using certified trainers. Client organizations may also choose to conduct the program using internal facilitators trained and certified by our firm. Open enrollment sessions are also available.

Negotiation Strategy and Tactics is easily tailored. Your account manager will work with you to design a delivery schedule that best suits your needs.

Who uses Negotiation Strategy and Tactics?

More than a quarter million managers and professionals, working in the world’s leading organizations, including:

Anheuser-Busch
Fleet Bank
GlaxoSmithKline
Houston Industries
The Procter & Gamble Company
Varian Associates, Inc.

View the NST Course Agenda