Negotiation Training

Course Highlights

This hands-on negotiation training course will:

• Outline the negotiation process and pinpoint opportunities to affect outcomes positively.
• Introduce frameworks for planning negotiation strategies.
• Offer techniques for improving listening and questioning skills during negotiations.
• Provide ample practice opportunities.

Program Overview

Everyone negotiates. The question is how well. Whether navigating personal relationships or professional challenges, strong negotiation skills can stack the deck in favor of the person with the greatest skill. The good news is that anyone can improve their negotiation talents with training and practice. This hands-on two-day workshop will improve participants’ negotiation knowledge and their ability to tackle deals more confidently.

The program begins with an introduction to negotiation outcomes and the factors that influence them. From there, the course explores the difference between position and interest and how separating the two opens the door to agreements that work for both sides. An eight-step negotiation process gives participants a structured framework for approaching negotiations methodically rather than reactively, and a set of analytical tools helps them understand their position before they make a move.

The TIPO framework, which examines Trust, Information, Power, and Options, runs through the entire program as a lens for planning strategy and reading what is happening across the table. The NPSC, which maps negotiation styles along two axes, helps participants recognize their own defaults and adapt when the situation calls for a different approach.

The second day moves into the mechanics of information gathering, concession management, and closure before turning to the situations that test even experienced negotiators: common pitfalls, team negotiations, cross-cultural environments, and time pressure. The program closes with a full simulation and structured debrief that gives participants a chance to apply everything under realistic conditions.

True to the Business Training Works approach, this is not a lecture-based program. The workshop uses simulations, case studies, and experiential interactions throughout.

The following outline highlights some of the course’s key learning points. As part of your training program, we will modify content as needed to meet your business objectives. Upon request, we will provide you with a copy of the participant materials prior to the session(s).

Day One: Foundation, Frameworks, and Strategy

Session Objectives

At this session’s conclusion, participants should be able to:

• Describe negotiation outcomes and factors that influence them.
• Separate position and interest.
• Explain an eight-step negotiation process.
• Determine what they have and need using the ZOPA, BATNA, WATNA, and WAP frameworks.
• Use the TIPO (Trust, Information, Power, Options) framework to plan negotiation strategies.
• Apply the 8S Negotiation Strategy Map to select strategies, anticipate how strategies may interact, and adapt when conditions change.
• Assess process trust and personal trust and identify trust-building measures.
• Identify different sources of power in negotiations (expert, referent, legitimate, coercive, reward, influence) and distinguish Power Over from Power With.

Workshop Modules

Introduction to Negotiation: Definition and Importance

The workshop opens by establishing a working definition of negotiation and connecting it to the full range of situations participants encounter in professional life. Not every negotiation involves a formal table or a large number on the page. Many of the most consequential negotiations happen in email, in brief conversations, and in the moments before a decision gets made. The group will examine the full spectrum of negotiation outcomes, from one-sided wins to mutual gains, and discuss what drives negotiators toward each end of that spectrum. Participants will also explore the difference between two fundamental negotiation categories: distributive negotiations, where the assumption is that resources are fixed and any gain by one side comes at a cost to the other, and integrative negotiations, where the goal is to create new value rather than simply divide what is already on the table. That distinction shapes everything that follows.

Apples and Oranges: Separating Position and Interest

One of the most common negotiation mistakes is treating what someone asks for as the same thing as what they actually need. This module makes that distinction concrete. A position is what someone wants. An interest is why they want it. When negotiators stay at the level of positions, they argue over outcomes. When they dig into interests, they often find room for solutions that neither side imagined at the start. Participants will work through a set of realistic business scenarios, identify the stated position in each, and develop questions that surface the underlying interests. The group will also examine three categories of interests, those tied to substance, those tied to process, and those tied to relationship, and practice recognizing which type is driving a given demand.

Step-by-Step Thinking: An Organized Approach

Skilled negotiators follow a process even when conversations feel fluid, and this module introduces the eight-step framework that structures the rest of the course. The group will examine what each step is designed to accomplish, what typically goes wrong when a step is skipped, and how the sequence connects preparation to closure in a way that reduces surprises and increases options. Participants will apply the framework to a case and identify where their past negotiations have most often broken down. A consistent pattern tends to emerge: most negotiation problems begin before anyone sits down, in preparation work that did not happen.

Swimming in Alphabet Soup: Negotiation Strategies and Frameworks

Before choosing a strategy, negotiators need to understand what they have and what they are working with. This module introduces four analytical frameworks for assessing position. ZOPA identifies the zone of possible agreement between each side’s aspiration and reservation points. BATNA defines the best alternative available if the negotiation fails. WATNA examines the worst-case version of that alternative. WAP establishes the walk-away point, the boundary below which no deal is better than any deal. Participants will use all four frameworks to analyze a negotiation scenario, identify where room exists for agreement, and determine what their preparation left unexamined. The group will leave this module with a clearer picture of what it means to know your numbers before you enter a conversation.

At a Crossroads: Where TIPO and 8-S Strategies Collide

This module brings together two frameworks that work in tandem throughout the program. TIPO, which examines Trust, Information, Power, and Options, is a preparation and assessment tool. It helps negotiators map what they know, what they need to find out, where leverage sits on both sides of the table, and what options are realistically available given those conditions. NPSC, the Negotiation Preferences and Styles Chart, maps five negotiation styles, evading, complying, insisting, settling, and cooperating, along two axes: the importance of the task and the importance of the relationship. Each style has a time and a place. The challenge is selecting the right one deliberately rather than defaulting to the most familiar. Participants will use TIPO to assess a negotiation scenario and NPSC to select an appropriate strategy, then discuss how the two frameworks inform each other when conditions at the table shift.

Assessing and Building Trust: Process and Personal Trust

Trust is the foundation of the TIPO framework, and this module examines it in detail. Two forms of trust operate in any negotiation. Process trust exists when both parties believe in the institutions or structures that govern the negotiation, such as legal agreements, industry standards, or organizational policy. Personal trust is established between individuals through consistency, follow-through, and honest exchange. Each form develops differently and operates under different conditions. In some contexts, process trust is sufficient for an agreement to hold. In others, particularly those involving long-term relationships, recurring interaction, or high-stakes commitments, personal trust determines how much information gets shared and how durable the outcome will be. Participants will examine a set of scenarios and assess which form of trust is present, which is absent, and what trust-building moves are available given the history and context of each situation.

Pondering Power: Five Sources to Consider

Power in a negotiation is rarely as simple as who has the bigger budget or the higher title. This module examines six distinct sources of power, expert knowledge, referent authority, legitimate position, coercive capacity, reward capability, and influence through relationships and coalitions, and explores how each operates differently across negotiation contexts. Power also comes in two orientations. Power over is applied to gain an advantage at the other side’s expense. Power with is shared to expand what both parties can accomplish together. Participants will assess which sources of power are available to them in a given scenario and which are available to the other side, then consider how the balance shifts when trust increases, when information changes, or when the relationship history is complicated. The group will also examine how power that exists on paper can fail to translate into actual leverage when it is not perceived as credible by the other side.

Day Two: Information, Concessions, Closure, and Practice

Session Objectives

At this session’s conclusion, participants should be able to:

• Leverage questioning techniques during negotiations.
• Demonstrate effective listening skills.
• Evaluate and verify information before relying on it.
• Recognize, organize, and rank concessions.
• Apply the CLOSE framework at the end of a negotiation.
• Avoid common negotiation pitfalls.
• Prepare for team negotiations, cross-cultural negotiations, and time-constrained negotiations.
• Demonstrate their negotiation skills.

Workshop Modules

Gathering and Evaluating Information: Techniques and Verification

Information is at the heart of every negotiation, and the quality of the questions determines the quality of the information. This session opens by examining the relationship between trust and information flow: when trust is high, parties share more and validate less; when trust is low, information is protected and the negotiator must work harder to verify what they receive. The group will practice a range of questioning techniques, including questions that surface interests rather than positions, questions that open option space without making commitments, and questions that slow the conversation down when it is moving too fast. Participants will also examine effective listening as an active discipline, not a passive pause between statements. The session includes a listening exercise that surfaces how much information negotiators miss when they are already preparing their response.

Make Note: Keeping Track of the Give and Take

Negotiations rarely move in a straight line. Concessions accumulate, conditions shift, and what seemed settled at noon can be back on the table by afternoon. This module focuses on how to track the moving parts of a negotiation systematically so that nothing gets lost and no concession disappears without being acknowledged. The group will examine how concessions should be recognized, organized, and ranked before a negotiation begins, and how the sequence and size of concessions send signals about confidence, flexibility, and remaining room. Participants will also explore anchoring, the effect of the first number on the table, and how to set and respond to anchors without giving away more than intended. The group will work through a concession planning exercise and practice the language that keeps give and take from being read as either weakness or rigidity.

It’s a Wrap: Closing Negotiations

Getting to yes is only part of the work. Closing a negotiation badly, leaving terms vague, missing stakeholders, or failing to document what was actually agreed, can unravel an outcome that both sides thought was settled. This module introduces the CLOSE framework, a structured approach to concluding negotiations professionally and completely. Participants will examine the most common closing mistakes and the conditions that make them more likely: time pressure, relationship concern, and the desire to get out of the room. The group will practice applying the framework to a negotiation scenario and identify what documentation and follow-up steps are needed to make the agreement durable after the conversation ends.

Avoiding Missteps: Exploring Pitfalls

Even experienced negotiators fall into predictable traps, and this module makes the most common ones visible before they cause damage. The discussion examines five pitfalls that appear consistently across negotiation contexts: focusing exclusively on your own side of the table rather than working to understand the other side’s problem; letting stated positions crowd out the underlying interests that actually drive behavior; searching so hard for common ground that differences with real value potential go unexplored; failing to protect and strengthen your BATNA while also working to understand and influence the other side’s; and allowing role bias and partisan perception to distort how information from each side is weighted. Participants will apply each pitfall to a case, identify where they are personally most vulnerable, and select the corrective move most likely to interrupt the pattern before it becomes costly.

Special Circumstances: Thinking Ahead

Some negotiating situations require adjustments to the standard approach, and this module prepares participants for three of the most common. Team negotiations introduce coordination challenges that solo negotiations do not have: who leads, who speaks when, how disagreement between team members is handled before and during the conversation, and how the other side’s team composition signals their priorities and authority structure. Cross-cultural negotiations require awareness of how differences in communication style, relationship expectations, authority structures, and attitudes toward time and risk can be misread as stubbornness, disrespect, or disorganization when the real issue is a different set of operating assumptions. Time-constrained negotiations create pressure that can push negotiators into concessions they did not plan to make or closures that leave critical terms unresolved. Participants will work through scenarios in all three categories and identify the preparation and in-session adjustments each situation requires.

Practical Application and Case Studies: Simulation and Analysis

The program closes with a structured multi-round negotiation simulation that puts every framework, skill, and judgment call from the two days under realistic pressure. Participants will prepare using TIPO, map the NPSC strategy that fits the situation, plan their concessions and anchor, and enter the negotiation with a clear picture of their ZOPA, BATNA, and walk-away point. The simulation unfolds in stages, with new information introduced at each round that requires participants to reassess their assumptions and adapt their approach. The debrief that follows is as important as the simulation itself. The group will examine what preparation held up, where instinct overrode process, how power and trust shifted during the conversation, and what they would do differently. Each participant will close the program with a personal action plan identifying the two or three habits they will commit to changing in their next real negotiation.

Target Audience

This workshop is designed for groups that want to:

• Thoroughly explore negotiation strategies and techniques.
• Enhance their negotiation skills through practical application.
• Develop a deep understanding of the negotiation process and frameworks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should attend this two-day negotiation workshop?

This course works well for professionals who negotiate as a regular part of their work and want a more structured, disciplined approach. Sales professionals, procurement and contracting staff, project managers, account managers, operations leaders, and anyone who manages vendor relationships, client agreements, or internal resource conversations will find the content directly applicable. The two-day format allows for deeper practice and more complex case work than a single-day program.

How does this two-day program differ from the one-day negotiation course?

The two-day format covers additional ground. Beyond the core frameworks, the extended program includes dedicated sessions on trust assessment, a detailed examination of six sources of power, advanced information-gathering techniques, and preparation for team, cross-cultural, and time-sensitive negotiations. The simulation in the final session is also more layered, with multiple rounds and new information introduced at each stage to require real-time adaptation.

Does this workshop cover both competitive and collaborative negotiation?

Yes. The NPSC maps five distinct negotiation styles across a range from highly competitive to fully cooperative, and the course examines the conditions that make each appropriate. Participants leave with the ability to select a strategy deliberately based on the situation rather than defaulting to the approach that feels most comfortable.

How much of the program involves practice and simulation?

Practice is built into every session. The final module is a structured multi-round simulation, but participants apply frameworks and work through cases throughout both days. This is not a lecture-based course.

Can this course be customized for our industry or the kinds of negotiations our team manages?

Yes. Before the session begins, we gather information about your team’s negotiation context, the situations they encounter most often, and where the current process tends to break down. We then adjust the scenarios, cases, and emphasis to reflect your environment so participants are practicing against situations that feel familiar rather than generic.

What frameworks will participants learn?

The program covers TIPO, NPSC, ZOPA, BATNA, WATNA, WAP, and CLOSE. Participants will use each framework in application during the workshop rather than reviewing them as concepts. The goal is selection and use under realistic conditions, not familiarity alone.