Introduction

Alliances in business are a natural route for development – but not all contracting relationships can truly be seen as alliances. A good, trusting and open relationship is essential for a long-term and successful alliance – and this needs to be practiced by the negotiators involved.

Negotiation is inevitably at the heart of every process to achieve what you want, whether in an agreement, bargaining for an item or closing a deal. At the end of each negotiation, the goal is to seek a win/win outcome – an essential characteristic of long-lasting alliances.

This Training Program provides an essential framework for effective negotiation — which will be vital for building and exploiting an alliance - from building the relationship, critical thinking to prioritize goals (and awareness of possible ploys you may encounter along the way).

Course Objectives of Effective Negotiation, Persuasion and Critical Thinking

At the end of the training program, you will have:

• Developed a framework for analyzing current alliances and developed an effective plan and strategy for negotiations
• Practiced and developed skills for influencing others
• Gained confidence as a trusted negotiator
• Adopted appropriate behaviors for each negotiation stage to deliver results
• Successfully applied the principles of persuasion to any negotiation situation
• Recognized and countered the most common negotiating ploys
• Prioritized and planed your negotiation strategy through critical thinking

Course Process of Effective Negotiation, Persuasion and Critical Thinking

The training program combines presentations with interactive practical exercises, supported by activities and case studies. Delegates will be encouraged to participate actively in relating creative leadership strategies to the particular needs of their workplace.

Core Competencies of Effective Negotiation, Persuasion and Critical Thinking

Participants will develop the following competencies:

• Appreciate how an alliance can prosper from constructive relationships
• Discover how to effectively persuade and influence others
• Learn to apply the key elements of influence
• Utilize various communication skills to send convincing messages
• Be more knowledgeable of the communication styles of others
• Critical thinking to identify key objectives and results desired from the negotiation process

Course Outlines of Effective Negotiation, Persuasion and Critical Thinking

Day One

Developing Alliances

• Characteristics of a strategic alliance – effects of market dominance
• Culture and perception – and effects in building alliances
• Building trust through communication and achieving results for the alliance (bearing in mind its “life cycle”)
• Personality - strengths & weaknesses in negotiations
• Minimizing communication blockers to maintain relationships
• Development review and action planning

Day Two

Influence & persuasion skills in managing the alliance

• Challenges of meetings – group and individual strategies
• Positive influence of listening in challenging situations - good and bad news!
• Applying rules of influential presentations to maximize the impact
• Maintaining compatible body language & using logic, credibility, and passion
• Feedback and action planning

Day Three

Strategy in negotiation skills for partners and allies

• Steps in win/win negotiation
• The keys to collaborative bargaining in partnering
• Leverage: What it is and how to use it
• Negotiation tactics and ploys
• Dealing with difficult negotiators and barriers
• Ethics in negotiation

Day Four

Higher-level negotiation skills for challenging situations

• Listening and responding to signals and informal information
• Recovering from reversals, errors, and challenges
• Developing a climate of trust
• Higher-level conversation techniques
• Concentrating action on the needs of alliance partners

Day Five

Maintaining alliances: critical thinking for decision making

• Gaining control and using information – formal and informal
• Identifying sources and testing assumptions
• Framing the problem
• Decision making under pressure
• Reviewing strategic alliances and building a personal action