Negotiation Skills - Training for Managers and Professionals

Win-Win Negotiations with Expert Coaching

Communication

Effective Communication

Achieve lasting behavioural change with practical skills, supported by proven methods and personal coaching.
Change

Behavioural Change

Achieve lasting behavioral change with practical skills, supported by proven methods and personal coaching.
Negotiation

Negotiation Expertise

Refine your negotiation approach, fostering trust and success in diverse situations through better collaboration.

Refine your communication skills by learning to harness your emotional intelligence with one of the UK's most acclaimed management training courses.

Why Choose This Training?

More Than Just A Course Of Lectures

What gets in the way of developing and holding on to new communication skills are old habits of thinking and speaking. Even if the advice is very good the reason why it rarely sticks are the mental habits people inevitably revert to, especially under pressure.

Unlearning those old habits and internalising a more effective and lasting approach to communication needs more than a short course of lectures on how to do it.

What Makes This Training Stand Out?

What makes this training stand out is the exceptional support through one-to-one coaching sessions and continuous feedback. Changing behaviour is not an easy task as old habits are hard to break.

With a 40-year track record we can help you cultivate practical skills, and build your confidence to so you can successfully navigate real-world challenges, ensuring lasting behavioural improvements.

Testimonials

Join thousands of participants getting results

"What I love about this course is that I didn't just learn about the topic, this course is about ME.  I'm confident I can reliably use my new skills, even when under pressure".

5 stars

A Project Manager At A Tech Company

"A lesson for life! The power of effective communication is incredible when one masters the skills "listening with empathy" and "speaking assertively"

5 stars

A Project Quality Engineer

Clients We Have Worked With

Well-known companies who have used this course again and again, over many years

  • Amgen 3
  • BBC
  • aunt bessies
  • Cargill 2
  • Heinz Logo 3
  • Civil service
  • NHS 2
  • Kelloggs Logo 2
  • IGT
  • JM 4 copy
  • Schweppes 3 logo
  • Castrol 3
  • Dewhirst 2
  • avon logo png
  • Nestle Logo
  • RSPB Logo 2022
  • Shell
  • UNHCR 3
  • unilever 2
  • BP 2
  • FBN 2

Course Summary

Training Objectives

This course is designed to help you develop your negotiation skills. You'll practice active listening, questioning, developing win-win solutions, emotional intelligence and body language. You'll learn how to create mutual understanding, gain knowledge of each side's needs, and identify what can be used in creative deals. You'll learn to tune in to the other person's values so you can create mutually beneficial outcomes.

Develop Your Emotional Intelligence

You will learn a set of powerful emotional intelligence communication techniques so that you can manage difficult conversations, handle challenging situations, build relationships and set firm boundaries.

Transferable Skills

The goal of this training is to equip you with the tools they need to build strong, lasting relationships in your professional life, although because these skills are so transferable many clients report vast improvements in their personal relationships as well.

Develop Skills

This is a skills development rather than just a theoretical programme, so the emphasis throughout will be on you taking turn after turn, practising your skills, while receiving feedback and coaching about your effect on others.

Repeated Practice and Feedback

In your coaching sessions you will be helped to practise dealing with the kinds of situation you find challenging, again and again, until you are confident you can do it successfully.

Video Analysis

We'll combine practical, hands-on experience with video replay and analysis and discussion of the principles involved to help you gain both skills and understanding. Special attention is paid to your individual training needs, so you can practise your skills in real-life situations that you have to handle at work.

Sustained Change

That's why as well as your place in a small group, this training includes a generous amount of private and confidential one-to-one coaching sessions online, spread over several months, ensuring an exceptional level of support. This will ensure the changes you make are sustained over a longer period of time and any obstacles are overcome. Choose between online training available worldwide, or in-person face-to-face courses in the UK.

Course Dates and Price

For a list of upcoming course dates (for online coaching and face-to-face training), the locations of the next 3-day public courses in the UK and pricing Click here.

Free Initial Session

This initial coaching session serves as an introduction to the "Skills with People" course, allowing you to understand the course's relevance and effectiveness for your specific needs before committing to it.

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She now feels more confident in tackling people

Might This Negotiation Skills Training Meet Your Needs?

A London based management training course called Skills with People

Yes, if the following is true

  • You're tired of negotiations being a power struggle in which one side wins and the other loses.
  • You'd prefer a less manipulative and more collaborative approach where you're trying to find win-win agreements in the interests of both parties.
  • For this you might need a more balanced set of negotiating skills, so that you can pay as much attention to the interests of others as you do to your own.

What you'll take away from this course in negotiating skills

This negotiating skills course will enable you to master two crucial skills that'll transform your approach to negotiation from win-lose to win-win. The two skills are assertiveness and empathy. A combination of these two skills will enable you to create an atmosphere of mutual respect, understanding, trust and open-mindedness, instead of fear and defensiveness. This'll make you more successful at reaching win-win agreements when you have a disagreement, dispute or conflict with someone.

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Now by involving people he takes them with him

Become A More Successful Negotiator

How the skills you'll practice on this course will make you a more successful negotiator

What do empathy and assertiveness bring to the art of negotiation?

They make possible a win-win instead of a win-lose outcome, provided you can agree on:-

  • a common objective
  • not accepting any outcome that fails to satisfy both sides.

Obtaining these two conditions may not be easy, because we often start negotiating not with a shared aim, nor with the intention to take care if one-another's interests as well as our own, but with the aim of maximising our own advantage. The idea of being equally concerned about the satisfaction of both sides does not occur to us. But it makes a big difference not only to the outcome but also to the spirit in which the negotiation is conducted. Without it we inevitably see and treat one-another as enemies, with fear of being taken advantage of as the underlying motive. But with it, feeling safe we'll not be taken advantage of, we can treat one-another as friends, and that opens up a wider range of possible outcomes. Here's the spirit of it:-

  • Instead of trying to gain an advantage over one-another let's try another way. Let's agree at the outset not to accept any outcome unless it satisfies us both. In other words, let's agree to take care of one-another's interests as much as our own. Then we can feel safe enough to look for a solution that satisfies us both.

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He's now far more aware of his impact on others

Steps For Negotiating A Win-Win Agreement

Below is a suggested procedure for having this conversation. On the Skills with People course we'll help you develop the skills you need to be confident you can follow this procedure successfully:-

Step 1

It's crucial to agree (a) a common objective and (b) not to accept any outcome unless it satisfies both sides. Without this agreement you cannot achieve a win-win outcome. But if this proves difficult why not explore the fears that are preventing the other side from agreeing to these conditions?

Step 2

Say, “You go first. Please say honestly what you need out of this negotiation, and why you need it. My purpose to start with is simply to satisfy you that I fully understand what you need and why you need it”. Take enough time to achieve this purpose. Don't argue - just listen with empathy in order to make them feel understood and respected.

Step 3

Say, “Now it's my turn. I am not asking you to agree with me - just to satisfy me that you hear and understand what I need and why I need it”. Say frankly what you need and why you need it. Be specific and clear about where the outcome they need satisfies you and where it does not. Remind them if necessary that you are not asking them to agree, just to hear and understand. Don't move on to step 4 until you both feel fully understood.

Step 4

Say, “It's clear that we have some common ground, but also that there is a gap to be bridged before we can agree. Let's now proceed on a quid-pro-quo basis in order to see whether we can close the gap. In other words, I'll concede you this, if you'll concede me that. Let's both take care that neither of us feels we are being taken advantage of.”

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Assertiveness, Listening Skills & Emotional Intelligence Training

The Importance Of Negotiation Skills Training

This negotiation skills training can equip you with the necessary knowledge and strategies to help you effectively negotiate in key stages of your personal, professional, and business lives.

Benefits In The Workplace, Personal Relationships, And Business Deals

  • Negotiation skills training is a highly beneficial skill to possess in any context. It can help you across lots of disciplines to achieve better outcomes. In the workplace, a strategic negotiator who can tactfully assess and understand both sides of an agreement will have advantage over those who are merely winging it. This negotiation skills training can help employees at all levels of an organisation learn how to efficiently reach agreements without burning bridges or damaging long-term relationships.
  • At the personal level, negotiation is all about the ability to influence others when trying to resolve conflicts or work towards common goals. By knowing how best to express yourself and identify win-win solutions you will be able to salvage relationships instead of damage them.
  • When engaging in business deals negotiation skills come into play too - for example many people find themselves having difficulty raising knowing how to get the best from others. With good negotiating skills you'll be able to influence and persuade others more easily.

Key Principles Of Negotiation Skills Training

  • Our negotiation skills training can help you learn essential strategies for successful negotiations. At the heart of negotiation is the ability to persuade others and find common ground with your counterpart.
  • To do this, effective communication skills are necessary for engaging in civil discussions and ensuring both sides move closer towards finding agreeable solutions.
  • These principles can be applied in a variety of contexts, such as rising above sticky situations in personal relationships or haggling over business deals and contracts at work. 

Essential Techniques For Negotiation Skills Training

  • Negotiations are a part of everyday life, from the professional to the personal. As such, learning effective negotiation techniques is an important skill for anyone in any role.
  • This negotiation skills training course provides an understanding of both emotional intelligence theory and practical strategies for successful negotiations.
  • The most essential technique for negotiation skills training is active listening. Active listening involves paying attention to verbal as well as nonverbal signals from the other party during negotiations and repeating back key points to make sure that everyone has heard and understood each other correctly.
  • This will help create trust and show respect between parties involved in a negotiation while also providing more information on which decisions can be based upon by all sides involved.
  • Active questioning with empathy during a negotiation is a crucial element to success. This helps open up lines of communication while allowing negotiators on both sides to truly comprehend their counterparts needs and position on certain topics or deals.

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Now he listens before jumping to conclusions

Common Negotiation Mistakes To Avoid

This negotiation skills training course can teach you about the common mistakes to avoid in order to achieve successful outcomes.

Common Mistakes That Hinder Negotiation Success

Given the importance of negotiation for businesses, individuals, and organisations, avoiding common mistakes is essential in order to ensure successful outcomes. Common mistakes made during negotiations can range from not building rapport with the other party or forgetting to shake hands when introducing oneself. It's also important to prepare thoroughly prior to entering into a negotiation as this will be key in addressing issues that may arise throughout the negotiation process and making sure all aspects necessary for a binding contract are included in writing.

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Learn how to tune in to others and enable them to tune in to you

Who Can Benefit From Negotiation Skills Training?

From business professionals to managers and team leaders, customer service representatives and job seekers, everyone can benefit from negotiation skills training.

Business Professionals

Business professionals can benefit greatly from negotiation skills training as it can provide them with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed. Negotiation skills training teaches essential principles, such as active listening and questioning, value creation and distribution, developing win-win solutions, emotional intelligence and body language.

As experienced negotiators know that communication is key in successful negotiations. Learning the tricks of persuasion can also help business professionals convince others more effectively when it comes time for bargaining or making deals.

Negotiation skills training can help businesses increase profits through effective decision-making processes which reduce costs associated with transactions or disputes. It also allows business leaders to build better relationships with clients by enabling smooth negotiations over price agreements or contract details without sacrificing profitability goals at either end of the table.

Managers And Team Leaders

Managers and team leaders play a pivotal role in the success of any organisation. Therefore, it can be very important for them to master negotiation skills in order to lead teams effectively, resolve conflicts quickly and create beneficial business deals.

Negotiation skills training can help managers and team leaders develop crucial competencies when bargaining with other parties, and new skills such as communication strategies or win-win solutions.

In addition to improving their abilities at the negotiating table, this course can also enhance their emotional intelligence which helps build trust with employees and improve relationships within an organisation.

Sales And Marketing Professionals

Sales and marketing professionals stand to benefit greatly from negotiation skills training. Professional salespeople need to be well-prepared with the ability to: negotiate effectively persuade decisions makers, craft creative deals, and close sales effectively.

Negotiation techniques can help them achieve their objectives by leveraging value creation with an emphasis on win-win outcomes.

For example;-

  • successful negotiation tactics for closing a deal include demonstrating product or service advantages that align with customer needs,
  • focusing on a longer-term view of benefits rather than just bottom line price,
  • using active listening skills in order glean bargaining points while understanding the customer's position,
  • crafting alternatives such as multiple payment options tailored specifically to each case,
  • finding ways of side-stepping price objections while maintaining pricing flexibility etc.

This form of "strategic selling" helps build strong relationships between buyers and sellers through deep trust created when customers feel heard and respected.

Paying attention to body language during negotiations signals openness and respect which can further establish credibility leading to long term success in business transactions as well as career advancement for the negotiator concerned.

Negotiation skills training is also very helpful for developing key psychological tools needed for persuasive communication, including:-

  • mindful awareness of emotions linked to valuable insights into opposing negotiator's behaviour,
  • being able focus your own feelings into an advantage by allowing yourself enough time before responding impulsively,
  • expertise in bridging cultural gaps such as ageism or gender bias similarly contribute tremendously.

Customer Service Representatives

Customer service representatives must interact with a variety of people throughout the day and, often, require advanced negotiation techniques to 0deliver successful outcomes.

With effective negotiation skills training, customer service representatives can learn to craft more meaningful conversations that lead to greater success for both sides.

Negotiation skills training provides customer service professionals with practical strategies and tactics for resolving problem situations quickly and efficiently, all while improving relationships with customers in the process.

Negotiation skills training helps customer service representatives hone their communication and interpersonal skills necessary for successful negotiations; this includes active listening, consensus building, value creation & distribution methods as well as understanding emotional states and behaviors displayed by other parties during negotiations.

Customer service reps benefit from tips on when it is best not to negotiate (such as when dealing with an unethical person) or how acknowledging perspectives can open up new possibilities that may not have been considered before. These kinds of insights make even difficult conversations easier.

Customer service representatives who invest in negotiation skill training can benefit significantly in terms of fostering better relationships with clients or partners via short-term wins achieved through proven tactics learned during classes/seminars/workshops etc., which will ultimately result in long term business success for themselves and their company's bottom lines.

Job Seekers And Career Changers

Negotiation skills can be critical for career advancement and success, especially when entering the job market or changing careers. Negotiation skills training can help job seekers and career changers master essential strategies such as preparation and planning, active listening and questioning, negotiation analysis, value creation and win-win solutions.

Such training also equip learners with psychological tools such as emotional intelligence in order to build relationships rather than destroy them during negotiations.

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Learn how to be both firm and fair

Key Components Of Negotiation Skills Training

Key components of the negotiation skills training courses we teach include Active Listening and Questioning, Value Creation and Distribution, Developing Win-Win Solutions, Emotional Intelligence and Body Language.

Active Listening And Questioning

Active listening and questioning are essential components of negotiation skills training. Practicing active listening during negotiations can set the tone for collaboration, show respect to the other party involved, create mutual understanding and gain knowledge of each side's needs.

Through effective questioning, negotiators become better able to identify resources that can be used in creative deals or other key tactics to solve conflicts.

For successful active listening and questioning in negotiations, it is important to have a thorough grounding on key communication principles such as body language awareness and empathy.

Building rapport by gaining an appreciation of others' point-of-view helps negotiators acknowledge deeply held interests with objectivity rather than reactivity. Active listeners should also ensure they comprehend everything said correctly by asking clarifying questions before responding this enables both parties to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings throughout their talks.

It is also crucial not only to listen actively but also ask meaningful open questions which provide advantages when bargaining over proposals from the opposite side.

Value Creation And Distribution

Negotiations wouldn't exist without value creation and distribution. When two parties come to an agreement, both need to walk away feeling that they achieved something. To do this, negotiators must create value by understanding what the other party values and finding ways to meet or exceed those interests.

Negotiation skills training teaches techniques for uncovering hidden interests and using different negotiation strategies, such as relationship building, knowledge exchange, bargaining tactics, anchoring to find solutions where each party's interests are satisfied.

Developing Win-Win Solutions

Developing win-win solutions is a key component of negotiation skills training. This approach to negotiations and negotiation theory emphasises creating mutually beneficial outcomes for both parties involved.

Win-win, negotiation strategy can result in long-term, sustainable solutions and strong working relationships between the two sides as opposed to disputes which may damage relations or financially harm one party more than the other.

Through open communication and willingness from both sides, value can be created by identifying common ground, options for mutual gain, objectives that meet everyone's needs, and collaborative methods like offering incentives.

Emotional Intelligence And Body Language

The use of emotional intelligence and body language play an important role in negotiation skills training. Being able to understand other people's emotions, read body language cues, maintain self-control when responding to challenging situations, and remain focused on the task at hand are all essential elements of successful negotiations.

It is crucial that negotiators possess effective self-awareness, be able to manage their own emotions as well being sensitively attuned to the emotional states of others involved in the discussion.

This ability includes being observant of subtle signs like facial expressions or body movements that can reveal key information about the person's attitude or feelings toward a particular issue.

A skilled negotiator will also have developed techniques for minimising their chances of succumbing to anger or making rash decisions during high stakes negotiations by employing strategies such as remaining objective, asking clarifying questions and focusing on long term outcomes rather than immediate rewards.

It is vital that you not only recognise but project empathy in your conversations with colleagues so as earn respect which often plays an integral part contributing favorably towards meaningful solution development and that dispute resolution processes are efficiently concluded between both parties involved.

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Learn to get taken more seriously

Training Options For Negotiation Skills

Delegates have the option to choose from in-person workshops, online workshops, or receive personalised online coaching and mentoring with this negotiation skills training.

Our In-Person Workshops

Attending our in-person negotiation skills training workshops provides invaluable benefits, such as face-to-face interaction with your experienced trainer. Participants can gain personalised insights on your own strengths and limitations, receive feedback from the trainer based on real-time discussions and video playback, and build relationships with other participants during problem solving exercises.

In addition to learning specific negotiation tactics (e.g., active listening), negotiators learn how to apply those tactics in different situations by playing devil's advocate.

Our Online Coaching and Training Course

Our online coaching and training courses offer an accessible way for busy professionals to improve their negotiation skills. They are a convenient and cost-effective option that can provide invaluable training on essential principles, discussions of case studies and scenarios, as well as practical skill developments. Our online courses provide you with flexibility, allowing you to learn at your own pace. The broad range of topics covered include the basics of effective negotiation, understanding each party's interests, conflict resolution techniques and practical skills needed for negotiations at work or personal life.

Coaching And Mentoring Programs

Our coaching and mentoring program offer your an even more flexible approach to negotion skills training. It allows you to rehearse negotiations in a workplace setting. Typically techniques used in these programs include assertiveness, conflict resolution, leadership, managing difficult people, influence, persuasion, among other useful negotiation tools.

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Learn how to be soft on the person yet tough on the issue

Measuring Success And ROI Of Negotiation Skills Training

An understanding of the ROI (Return on Investment) from negotiation skills training is needed to know whether the investment was worthwhile.

Enhanced Negotiation Outcomes And Productivity

Negotiation skills training can be a powerful tool for improving outcomes and productivity in the workplace. With effective negotiation, business professionals can optimise deals, create mutually beneficial agreements with clients and vendors, and increase their overall profitability.

Feedback has shown that participants from our negotiation training courses have gained more favorable results from negotiations compared to their performance before they took part in the course. It gives us the confidence that we offer an efficient approach to teaching conflict, active listening techniques and emotionally intelligent communication.

Improved Client And Vendor Relationships

Negotiation skills training is an invaluable tool for improving client and vendor relationships. It helps professionals become more effective communicators, active listeners, and problem solvers, all of which can lead to better outcomes in any negotiation.

By developing win-win solutions through mutual understanding, respect and trust can be nurtured between negotiating parties. Building rapport also makes it easier to resolve disputes when they arise and facilitates long-term partnerships with both clients and vendors alike.

A successful negotiator is able to negotiate a favourable outcome while simultaneously maintaining the relationship with the other party by fully understanding their needs and interests - something that requires knowing how to use communication techniques effectively.

Reduced Costs And Risks

Successful negotiation skills training can lead to reduced costs and risks. Through taught techniques such as building rapport, understanding the other party's interests and creating win-win solutions, businesses gain a better position in negotiations.

Understanding risk management principles helps practitioners understand what strategies pose higher risks that should be avoided, while also providing alternatives during negotiations that do not involve high financial losses.

Practicing emotional intelligence helps negotiators build trust and create an atmosphere of safety which supports successful deals. Creative problem solving exercises are often included in courses which allow participants to develop new perspectives on problems resulting from negotiations reducing the likelihood of costly mistakes being made by either party.

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Assertiveness, Listening Skills & Emotional Intelligence Training

Further Reading

More information on this website relevant to negotiating skills

You might also find our pages on influencing and persuasion and emotional intelligence relevant and helpful.

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Free exploratory coaching session

The first session is free so you're not committing yourself until you're sure this training is relevant for you. You will also learn something practical you can use right away that'll help you handle a difficult situation more successfully at work.

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