Negotiation Skills Training Course – How to communicate effectively in negotiations

Posted on September 29, 2011 in negotiation skills

Our Negotiation Training courses are designed to deliver vital negotiation skills, tips and techniques to delegates who need new and different methods to improve and enhance their overall results when negotiating with colleagues, staff members or clients. Our Negotiation skills workshops and seminars are based in London and are acknowledged for efficiently improving negotiation skills. Over the years we have received many excellent comments about the effective and hugely practical negotiation strategies and tactics that delegates have learned on our courses.

Effective Communication in Negotiations

Sometimes it is difficult to pin down the exact, observable behaviours that help you to express yourself and communicate effectively – some verbal, visual and vocal traits play a large part in effective communication.

NON-ASSERTIVE NEGOTIATORS

Verbal behaviour

• Apologises for options

• Doesn’t state needs at all

• “If you think so………….”

Non verbal behaviour

• Lack of eye contact

• Hesitates openly

• Quiet voice, dropping at end of sentence

• Nervous gestures – hands and face

Behaviours

• Concede too readily

• Doubt themselves and their own ability

• Worry about appearances

• Conform to the rest of the group

• Place little value on their own contributions

• Rely on others to make decisions

• Neglect their own concerns to satisfy others

AGGRESSIVE NEGOTIATORS

Verbal behaviour

• “You should…..”

• “Yes, but……….”

• “What, after everything I’ve done for you.”

Non verbal behaviour

• Glaring eye contact

• Pointing finger

• Rigid Stance

• Leaning forward to intimidate

• Arms crossed

Behaviours

• Place the blame on others

• Reject other people’s ideas

• Put down people and sneer at them

• Be suspicious and distrustful of compliments

• Aggressively pursue their own concerns

• Win at all costs

• Use any means to win arguments

SKILLED NEGOTIATORS

Actions

• Welcome and give constructive criticism

• Consult others

• Seek clarification

• Aim to resolve problems on a mutual basis

• Have an open approach to communication

• Actively seek a workable compromise

Key points for an assertive negotiation

• Be clear and honest with yourself about your needs and motives

• Use open questions to discover the needs of the other party

• Acknowledge the needs of the other party

• State your needs clearly and directly

• Ask for solutions as well as offering alternatives

• Concentrate on the problem, not the personalities

• Avoid personal attacks

EFFECTIVE BEHAVIOUR IN NEGOTIATING AND BARGAINING

Research in 1997 from the Huthwaite Institute examined the behaviours of 50 skilled negotiators and determined that there were certain types of behaviour and strategies that they displayed that aided the success of their negotiations. The table below lists some of these and compares them against those used by average negotiators:

	Averages
	Skilled Negotiator	Average Negotiator
1. Use of “Irritators per hour” of face-to-face negotiations	2.3	10.8
2. Frequency of counter-proposals per hour	1.7	3.1
3. % of Comments recognisable as “defending” or “attacking”	1.9%	6.3%
4. Average number of reasons given to support argument(s) (dilution effect)	1.8	3.0
5.Prior “labeling” of comments – Comments other than disagreement- Disagreement	6.4%0.4%	1.2%1.5%
6. Seeking Information as % of all communication	21.3%	9.6%
7. Number of comments as:- Questions-Testing understanding – Summarising	9.77.5 17.2	4.14.2 8.3
xpressing “Feelings” % of all comments	2.1	7.8

CONCLUSIONS

Average negotiators tended to irritate more; were more easily led into defending their positions; were 3 times more likely to attack; provided more reasons for their proposals; were much less willing or able to ask questions or summarise understandings or agreements. They were also more likely to be more emotional during negotiations and were more likely to show disagreement rather than keep the negotiation on a calm, neutral and level path.

Who will benefit from the course?

This course is designed to lead to practical skills to enable delegates to be both competent and confident in their negotiations.

Our courses allow delegates to benefit by increasing their negotiating skills. The types of delegate we have trained previously are:

Directors and senior managers
Sales and fundraising staff
Local government employees
Managers, department heads, team leaders and supervisors
Technical and academic team members
Customer service and credit control staff

Following the course delegates will be able to focus on the key aspects and rules of successful negotiation including arguments and counter arguments, fallback positions and creative solutions and alternatives to agreement. Skills taught include:

how to plan and prepare a strategy for successful negotiations
using effective negotiation skills and behaviours to gather information
managing conflict and deadlock
how to influence and persuade both colleagues and clients

This workshop also examines and evaluates the different styles of negotiation available and then use practical role plays to help the delegates understand the skills involved. Our trainers will help the delegates to critically examine the client/customer relationship and its effect on the negotiation process.

Course Dates

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