What is in your negotiation tool kit?

Managers in today's complex business environment require negotiation skills for business success. They need to develop a tool kit of negotiation strategies and understand how these influence and are influenced by their surroundings. Being successful in leading groups and shaping group decision making is vital, both internally and with key customers and suppliers.

In your tool kit you need tools to manage:

  • Relationships
  • Substantive Issues
  • Value
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What can Trump and Brexit teach us about persuasion (Part 1)

As the world reels at the second big shock in 2016, Donald Trump elected as President of the USA, after the UK voted for Brexit. What can we learn about persuasion? So many polls, so many authorities got both events wrong.

We might be tempted to believe as Richard Thaler, Professor of Behavioural Science & Economics said after Trump won, ”This is …a defeat for science and expertise.” No, this is not a defeat for logic. Logic could never win; this is a win for emotion.

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In global negotiations do you understand culture?

We have already explored the theme from market trends: Are procurement undervaluing suppliers? In this blog, we will concentrate on the need to understand culture in global negotiations.

The secret of great global negotiations is not one thing, but many: communication, planning, risk taking and cultural differences. But, one key item or secret of success can be gleaned from Aristotle in his book Rhetoric . The secret is: balance your negotiation argument with logic and emotion.

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The Interactive Image (Part 2 - The Audience's Image)

In a previous blog, we discussed the presenter's image as an interactive image. Now we will move onto the second method.

In this second method, the Persuasive Presenter allows the audience to select their own images for their own reason. This suits a workshop format and produces plenty of interaction.

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How to discredit your competitors

A headline about the US presidential debate claimed Hillary Clinton unties the Gordian Knot (ABC news online 27 September 2016). In this case, the Gordian Knot is

"... the growing realisation that Mr Trump continues to rise no matter what serial atrocities or outrages he commits ..."

The article talks of Mrs Clinton unpicking the knot during the debate. In plain language, she discredited Mr Trump. The new 2016 book by influence guru Robert Cialdini helps us understand why Hillary was so successful.

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The Interactive Image (Part 1 – The Presenter’s image)

When using the image as an illustration, the presenter assigns meaning to the image, as discussed in our previous blog The Skilful Use of Images. In contrast, when using the ‘interactive image’ method the audience assigns a meaning to an image. There are three methods of the interactive approach:

1.       Presenter’s image – Audience’s meaning

2.       Audience’s image – Audience’s meaning

3.      Common image – Audience’s meaning

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Are Procurement undervaluing suppliers?

In a previous blog, we explored the market trends impacting B2B business negotiations and determined there were two main themes from these trends. The first of these being: Procurement - undervaluing suppliers.

The way organisations buy has become more sophisticated, so more companies have introduced professional procurement managers into their negotiations with suppliers. In today's business environment companies must pull every possible lever to improve profits, so getting a price reduction on a product or service is the easiest way to reduce costs. On face value getting cheaper prices seems an appropriate approach, however, we challenge that paradigm.

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Brexit Negotiations: How to make the impossible deal (part 3)

In the first blog of this series, we reviewed how to get a deal for Brexit and understood that the top eight countries by population are critical: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Netherlands and Belgium. First to prevent a blocking coalition and second to create a winning coalition of countries. In the second blog, we explained how to prepare for these complex negotiations. In this third blog, we will examine roles when negotiating as a team. Then we will look at how to negotiate in multi-party negotiations.

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Market Trends Impacting B2B Business Negotiations

There are a few relentless market trends impacting how B2B companies do business. These market trends are long-term and impact the top and bottom lines of B2B companies around the world.

1.      Customer Consolidation

2.      Centralisation of Decision Making

3.      Different Decision Makers

4.      Increasing Competition

All of these market trends are making it harder to keep, win and grow customers profitably. What does this mean for your organisation?

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Agility is a state of mind

Spend a moment thinking about the messages you received about winning as you were growing up. Think about sport, study, games, finances, and career. Think about your friends’ attitudes to these activities too. It’s probable that most of you are conditioned to think that winning, in any competition, is the most important part of the game.

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Brexit Negotiations: How to make the impossible deal (part 2)

In the previous blog, we completed the vital step of understanding the process of decision-making. Now we will examine how to prepare for these complex negotiations.

Given the number of countries, it is likely that coalitions of countries will form. Dealing with coalitions requires special skills. But according to Peter Block, one of the most important skills is to say no when you mean no. In other words, a vital part of preparation is to identify what you will not do.

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What's in your negotiation toolkit?

Managers in today’s complex business environment require negotiation skills for business success. They need to develop a toolkit of negotiation strategies and understand how these influence and are influenced by their surroundings. Being successful in leading groups and shaping group decision making is vital, both internally and with key customers and suppliers.

Read More
Brexit Negotiations: Mission Impossible?

So, the UK has voted for Brexit. What's next? Negotiating the exit. What does this involve? Part of this is Article 50, where the UK has to give notice it's leaving. There's good news and bad news about Article 50. The good news is it's only 300 words and the bad news is it's only 300 words. Why both good news and bad news?

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Tough Conflicts? Negotiate Better Solutions

One of the toughest negotiations is when one side wins and the other side loses. For example, a mining company wants to mine in a forest area and a local government wants to stop the mine because they want to preserve the forest. If one side wins, the other loses.

This is so difficult because each side brings a position and then spends all their energy defending their position or attacking the other side's position.

In the toughest negotiations, we need to look beyond positions and explore interests.

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The Skillful Use of Images

When images are used skillfully, they can increase interest and participation, excite creativity, stir emotions and memories, provoke questions and uncover common ideas. There are two approaches to using images in presentations: the image as illustration and the interactive image. In this blog, we will discuss the image as an illustration.

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