Negotiation Skills Workshop

In negotiation you don’t get what you deserve, you get what
you negotiate !

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 Seminar agenda

Your business challenges today

Case study one

Golden Rule No. 1 and No. 2
- Initial demand
- Answering concession requests

Case study one, part two

Golden Rule No. 3
- Concessions and Trade-offs

Golden Rule No. 4 and No. 5
- Go back in smaller steps
- Lead the customer to a conclusion
 What keeps you awake at night?

Write down the three major

business challenges that you
face in your job today

1-

2-

3-
 Objectives for this training session

Facing your customer as a equal partner in negotiations

To know and apply the relevant rules for negotiations

To work on Adecco specific case studies and receive supporting

feedback

To have an overview of the Best Practices in negotiation

Philosophy of Negotiation

PLEASE MENTION THE MAIN TOPICS

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Philosophy of Negotiation

 Win-Win
• Build trust over time
 Efficient
• Focus on agreement areas
 Creative
• Be tough on the issue, not
on the people
 Positive attitude
• Choose your own style of
 Understanding of needs
communication
and motivations

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 A method to prepare the negotiation

1- List possible negotiating points

2- Prioritise them
3- Define objective – desirable position
4- Define bottom line – essential position
5- Define initial demand level – Optimum position
6- Prepare to explain selling
points adapted to customer requirements

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 Your Negotiation Matrix
Ensure that this matrix becomes part of your preparation for customer negotiations.

Variable Optimum Desirable Essential Selling Points

In the most difficult situations:

1 - Make at least one unacceptable request on a minor point
2 - Whenever possible, present an offer which cannot be compared
3 - Whatever happens, announce the price you initially decided
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 Game (Case study One, Part One)

1 x Account Manager 1 x Customers

1 Coach 1 Observers

Scoring
Agenda system
10 min - Preparation
10 min – Meeting
5 min – Feedback from observer
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 Golden Rule #1

"You must have the courage to start

with a high initial demand".

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 Resisting the other party

Inoculate yourself
1) Develop supporting arguments for
your position only.

2) Then, develop arguments against

your position.

3) At last, develop counterarguments

to refute them!

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 Golden rule # 2

"When the opposition requests a

concession,
you must first answer
with a defence of your offer”
Use your selling points!
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 Keep the negotiation away
from your own goal
Seller’s
goal

PRICE
REBATES
CONDITIONS
NEEDS
QUALITY
PRODUCTS
SERVICES

Buyer’s goal
 to keep the danger away
 to become the strongest psychologically
 to keep ahead in the score
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 Building up a
Value Proposition matrix
Motivation Advantage Proof Benefit

1 - Remember your buyer will only remember 3 to 5 elements

they exchanged during the Meeting !
2 - Take into account their motivations
3 – Provide proof for each selling point that you present
4 – Present the selling points to appeal to their personal motivations
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 Game (Case study One, Part Two)

1 x Account Manager 1 x Customers

1 Coach 1 Observers

Scoring
Agenda system
10 min - Preparation
10 min – Meeting
5 min – Feedback from observer
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 Golden rule # 3

"You will only make a concession

if you can obtain a Trade-off in return -
first.”

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 Why should you secure a Trade-off
first ?

1. It supports the credibility of your initial demand

2. It improves the profitability of the agreement

3. It stops the risk of ‘rolling concessions’

4. It gains you self-respect

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 Proceed in four steps

1 - It is vital that you can support each negotiating

point. Prepare using the negotiation matrix

2- checking question "And yourself, would you

consider the following point…”

3- opening
"If you (...), then possibly..."

4- counter-offer
"Under those conditions, I can offer..."

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Trade-offs
•Get exclusivity of the orders for the first 24 OR 48 hours
•Have access to the CV’s client database
•Reduce prices for correct ter,s of payment
•Reduce GM vs new business across outher countries
•Exclusivity on 1 site
•Cross selling (LHH, Permanent placement…)
•Different prices vs Volumes
•Provide consulting activity (legal, admin…)
•Extention or reduction of garanties for permanent placement
•Consistancy in service
•Lenght of contract vs smaller prices
•Pre payment for permanent placement
•Training
•Smaller short list vs smaller prices in permanent
•On site
•B to B
•Client brand advantage
•Exploit the direct hiring
•Co supplier introduction 19
•Master vendor
 Golden rule # 4
"If you have to go back,
do it in small
and decreasing steps"

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 Key points about giving
concessions

1- Reduce what you offer with every additional

concession
“Think about what you think it will take to get the deal and offer half of it”

2- Increase the time before giving each additional

concession

3- Don’t hesitate to ask counterparts that we know

the buyer won’t accept

4- Resist the temptation to go straight for your

essential position by pushing the attack aside
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 How to push the attack aside

Resist the temptation to get caught negotiating on the same

point if you have got close to your essential position. Try to push
the ‘attack’ to one side by raising a new Trade-off and
concession:

"On this particular point,

I can’t do anything.

I can however
make a proposition…”

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 Golden rule # 5

“You will lead the customer

towards the conclusion”

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 Pre-closing to lead the customer to
a conclusion

Example:

Initial question:
"Beside this point, do we fully agree on everything else?"

Leading question:

"So, if we come to an agreement on this point, we can come

to a full agreement on the contract. Are you happy with that?”

Isolate areas of agreement from disagreement. Focus on the

positives and talk in terms of finalising the agreement

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 The 5 Golden Rules Summary

1. You must have the courage to start with a high initial demand

2. When asked for a concession you must defend your offer first

3. You will only make a concession, if you can obtain something in

return

4. If you have to go back, do it in small decreasing steps

5. You will lead the customer towards the conclusion

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