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- Key Negotiation Skills (2 days)
Key Negotiation Skills (2 days)
Staff who prepare properly, bargain with a plan and reach agreements that hold – with suppliers, clients, colleagues and in workplace disputes.
Most people negotiate every week – over prices, deadlines, budgets, workloads and disagreements between colleagues – but few have been shown how. Without a method they concede too early, give away margin, or let a disagreement harden into a standoff. This negotiation skills training gives your people a structured approach they can use at any table.
Day one covers the negotiation process from start to finish: preparing your BATNA, walk-away point and the zone of possible agreement, exchanging information, bargaining, breaking deadlock and closing a firm agreement, including negotiating by phone and email. Day two applies the method to conflict situations at work and to more complex negotiations: choosing between distributive, integrative, positional and interest-based strategies, prioritising issues with stakeholders, using trade-offs, linkages and concessions, negotiating as a team, respecting cultural differences, and recording and evaluating the outcome.
Both days are built around practice negotiations on realistic supplier, client and workplace scenarios, with feedback from the facilitator and observers.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Better terms from suppliers and less margin given away to clients
- Workplace disagreements settled through negotiation rather than escalation
- A shared preparation method and vocabulary across negotiating teams
- Agreements that are recorded properly and followed through
For your delegates
- A preparation worksheet you can use before any negotiation
- Techniques for bargaining, breaking deadlock and closing
- Confidence to handle pressure tactics and personal attacks calmly
- Practice on realistic scenarios with structured feedback
What delegates will be able to do
- Prepare for a negotiation: objectives, BATNA, walk-away point and the zone of possible agreement
- Open a negotiation and decide what information to share and what to hold back
- Bargain with trade-offs and concessions that earn something in return
- Break an impasse and close with clear, written terms
- Choose a distributive, integrative or interest-based strategy to suit the situation
- Use negotiation to resolve a conflict between individuals or teams at work
- Negotiate as part of a team with defined roles
- Evaluate a negotiation and identify what to improve next time
Who should attend
Managers, supervisors and team leaders, HR practitioners and shop stewards, procurement and buying staff, sales and account managers, project managers and business owners – anyone who negotiates with suppliers, clients, colleagues or employee representatives. Training a whole team together works well for procurement panels, sales teams and management committees.
Course outline
Day 1 – The negotiation process
Understanding negotiation
- Where negotiation happens at work every day
- The three phases: exchanging information, bargaining and closing
- What effective negotiators do differently
- Common reasons negotiations fail
Preparing to negotiate
- Setting objectives and priorities
- BATNA and WATNA – your best and worst alternatives if there is no deal
- Your walk-away point and the zone of possible agreement (ZOPA)
- Researching the other party and their constraints
- Personal preparation and a negotiation worksheet
Opening and exchanging information
- Choosing the time, place and format
- Finding common ground and agreeing how the talks will run
- Starting on a constructive note
- Deciding what to disclose and what to hold back
Bargaining and mutual gain
- What to expect once bargaining starts
- Anchoring, trading and conceding to a plan
- Looking for options that benefit both sides
- Techniques for breaking an impasse
Closing and difficult moments
- Reaching consensus and building the agreement
- Confirming terms in writing
- Handling pressure tactics and personal attacks
- Keeping your emotions in check
- Knowing when to walk away
Everyday negotiations by phone and email
- Scaling the process down for small, everyday negotiations
- What changes on the telephone
- Negotiating by email without losing control
- Practice negotiation: supplier scenario with feedback
Day 2 – Negotiating through conflict and complexity
Negotiation as a way to resolve workplace conflict
- When to negotiate and when to escalate
- Separating the people from the problem
- Positions versus interests in a workplace dispute
- Communicating with respect, empathy and openness
Choosing a strategy
- Distributive and integrative negotiation
- Positional, principled and interest-based approaches
- Target-specific bargaining and problem-solving negotiation
- Matching strategy and tactics to the situation
Preparing with stakeholders
- Prioritising the issues with the people affected
- Briefing stakeholders before talks begin
- Preparing negotiation documents and a clear mandate
- Negotiating on behalf of someone else
Team and multi-party negotiations
- Roles at the table: lead negotiator, note-taker and observer
- Using experts, brainstorming, trade-offs and linkages
- Presenting proposals clearly at the table
- Cultural sensitivity in South Africa's diverse workplaces
- Good-faith engagement with employee representatives, as general guidance and not legal advice
Recording and evaluating the outcome
- Recording and reporting the agreement
- Reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of the process
- Solving problems that arise after agreement
- Improving your negotiation process next time
Practice negotiation and action plan
- Team negotiation on a workplace conflict scenario
- Observer feedback using a structured scorecard
- Personal action plan for a live negotiation you are facing
How it is delivered
Two days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; scenarios tailored to your sector on request. Workbook, negotiation preparation worksheet and practice scenarios included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 790+ reviews · word-for-word quotes from signed letters of reference, from clients on this and/or related BOTI courses
“The courses were efficiently scheduled and planned around our timetable. We were impressed by the quality of training with average overall scores of 5 out of 5.”
“The training was well executed and of a high quality … We would like to recommend BOTI for future trainings.”
“We have been very impressed with their service and rollout of the training.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa; we can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of about 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Is there a one-day version?
Yes. The one-day Key Negotiation Skills course covers the core negotiation process from day one. This two-day course adds a day on negotiating through workplace conflict, choosing a strategy, team negotiations and evaluating the outcome.
Can the practice negotiations reflect our own situations?
Yes. Send us two or three real negotiations your team faces – supplier renewals, client pricing, budget or workload discussions – and the facilitator builds them into the practice sessions.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
Related courses
Ask a consultant for a written quote
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