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Quick Look Course Summary:Key Negotiation Skills Course (1 day)
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Length: 1 day(s)
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Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 5,654 EX VAT 3 Person R 3,982 EX VAT 10 Person R 2,954 EX VAT
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Certification Type:Non-Accredited
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Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
Negotiation Skills – self-paced online, 6 months’ access: R950 per learner (ex VAT); teams of 10 or more pay less.
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Key Negotiation Skills Course (1 day)
Delegates walk into their next negotiation prepared – knowing what they want, where they will walk away and how to reach an agreement both sides will keep.
Every manager negotiates: budgets with finance, deadlines with other departments, prices with suppliers, terms with customers and, in many workplaces, issues with shop stewards. Most do it without a plan, give away too much too early or dig in on positions until the talks stall. This one-day negotiation skills course gives delegates a clear three-phase process they can use for any negotiation, large or small.
The day starts with preparation – the step most people skip. Delegates set objectives, work out their best and worst alternatives to a deal, fix a walk-away point and estimate the range where agreement is possible. They then practise the three phases: exchanging information, bargaining and closing. The afternoon covers looking for mutual gain, handling pressure tactics and personal attacks, breaking deadlock, negotiating by phone and email, and negotiating as a team or on behalf of someone else. Short paired exercises run throughout, so every delegate negotiates several times before the day ends.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Better terms with suppliers, customers and partners
- Fewer stalled negotiations and fewer agreements that fall apart later
- Managers who prepare instead of improvising
- Negotiations that protect long-term working relationships
For your delegates
- A one-page preparation sheet for any negotiation
- A clear walk-away point before you start
- Practical ways to break deadlock and counter pressure
- Confidence to negotiate face to face, by phone or by email
What delegates will be able to do
- Explain the three phases of a negotiation and the skills each one needs
- Prepare a negotiation using BATNA, WATNA, a walk-away point and the zone of possible agreement
- Agree the time, place and agenda and establish common ground
- Decide what information to share and what to hold back
- Use bargaining techniques and break an impasse
- Look for options that create mutual gain rather than a winner and a loser
- Stay composed under pressure tactics and personal attacks, and recognise when to walk away
- Close with a clear written agreement and agreed terms
- Adapt the process for quick everyday, telephone, email and team negotiations
Who should attend
Managers, supervisors, buyers and procurement officers, sales and account staff, project managers, shop stewards and employee representatives – anyone who negotiates regularly and wants a dependable process instead of relying on instinct. No previous negotiation training is needed.
Course outline
Day 1 – Preparing, bargaining and closing
Understanding negotiation
- Where negotiation happens in everyday work
- Distributive and integrative negotiation
- Positions versus interests
- The three phases: exchanging information, bargaining and closing
- What strong negotiators do differently
Preparing to negotiate
- Setting objectives and priorities
- Your best and worst alternatives to a negotiated agreement (BATNA and WATNA)
- Choosing your walk-away point
- Estimating the zone of possible agreement (ZOPA)
- Researching the other party's needs and constraints
- Personal preparation and mindset
Laying the groundwork and exchanging information
- Agreeing time, place and agenda
- Finding common ground and a framework for the talks
- Opening well and building working rapport
- Deciding what to share early and what to keep back
- Questions that reveal the other side's real interests
Bargaining and mutual gain
- What to expect once bargaining starts
- Opening offers and anchoring
- Making and trading concessions
- Generating options that work for both sides
- Breaking an impasse
Difficult moments and closing
- Recognising pressure and environmental tactics
- Responding to personal attacks and keeping your emotions in check
- Deciding when it is time to walk away
- Reaching consensus and writing up the agreement
- Agreeing terms, responsibilities and follow-up
Negotiating in different settings
- Shortening the process for small everyday negotiations
- Negotiating by telephone and by email
- Choosing and briefing a negotiating team
- Negotiating on behalf of someone else and handling tough questions
- Workplace negotiations with employee representatives, as general guidance and not legal advice
- Practice negotiation, feedback and personal action plan
How it is delivered
One day, 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. Workbook, preparation worksheet and paired practice negotiations included; scenarios can be built around your own suppliers, customers or workplace issues. 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
“The sessions … were exceptionally well-organized and seamlessly integrated into our schedule. We were highly impressed by the calibre of the training and the deep expertise demonstrated by the facilitator.”
“…the general feedback received was that the course was very informative and participative. The training and the facilitator was of a high quality. We highly recommend BOTI for training services.”
“They were very professional, and they never failed us at any point during the process. They have met our expectations with both trainings.”
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. Even numbers work best for the paired practice negotiations.
Is it accredited?
No. It is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Is there a longer version?
Yes. Our two-day Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Skills Training adds a full day on resolving workplace conflict. Account managers who renegotiate with the same clients every year may also want Key Account Management (2 days).
Is it suitable for shop stewards and union negotiations?
Yes. The process applies to workplace negotiations and the facilitator can add employee-relations scenarios. It is a skills course, not training in labour law, so it does not replace legal or IR advice.
Can the scenarios reflect our own negotiations?
Yes. Send us two or three typical negotiations beforehand – supplier pricing, a client renewal, a workload discussion – and the facilitator builds them into the practice rounds.
Related courses
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Monday to Friday, 08:00–17:00. After hours, we reply on the next working day – or call 011 882 8853.