What topics are discussed at negotiation training?
While negotiation training can be tailored to meet the specific needs of its audience, it will generally focus on a few specific areas. These areas will deal with certain types of negotiation as well as principles that will be applicable in any type of negotiation. Potential topics would likely include:
Conflict resolution: Employees refusing to work together or a lawsuit by a former customer are two examples of situations in which the two sides are in total disagreement. The irony is, in this situation, a negotiator must work with two sides who might have no intention of negotiating with each other. Negotiation training can help you find common ground and move forward from there.
Sales negotiation: Negotiating a price can be a fear for both a buyer and a seller. The buyer worries he is paying too much, the seller wonders how low he can go and still make the sale worth the company’s while. The seller must demonstrate to the buyer that he needs to buy and the buyer must consider all his options. Training can help both the buyer and the seller in all these areas.
Cross-cultural negotiation: Increasingly, American companies are becoming global companies. Even if they are not, the multiculturalism of America virtually ensures that a business will have cross-cultural customers or employees. How does negotiation change when it takes place in another country or with people of a different culture?
Reading people: This is one of the biggest keys to being a successful negotiator. When you meet the other side in a negotiation, can you discern what expectations or emotions he might have? Can you look through his eyes to see what his perspective on this negotiation might be?
These are a few of the basic topics that might be discussed at training. Other topics might include tips on how to bargain, what format and setting to use for negotiation, or in-depth studies into certain aspects of some of the above.