This course considers the importance of building alliances and relationships through the application of negotiation and persuasion. Delegates will work on critical thinking processes to enable them to make better planning decisions in order to achieve success when negotiating alliances. The course will equip delegates with an essential framework for effective negotiation starting with the planning process and understanding why it is essential to consider the critical points in building and maintaining relationships. Delegates will have the opportunity to exercise and improve their influencing and persuasion skills, and build higher-level communication ability in order to deliver results and maintain alliances for the mutual benefit of the parties involved.
By the end of this course delegates will be able to:
- Describe a framework for the analysis of business alliances
- Understand how to apply influencing skills during the negotiation phase
- Recognize and manage difficult negotiators who use aggressive tactics during negotiation
- Understand the key principles of persuasion and its importance to negotiation
- Apply critical thinking when planning to develop business alliances
Day 1
Developing Alliances
- Characteristics of a strategic alliance – effects of market dominance
- Culture and perception – and effects in building alliances
- Achieving results in the life cycle of the alliance, through building trust
- Personality - strengths & weaknesses in negotiations
- Minimizing communication blockers to maintain relationships
- Development review and action planning
Day 2
Influence & Persuasion Skills in Managing the Alliance
- Challenges of meetings – group and individual strategies
- Positive influence of listening in challenging situations - good and bad news!
- Applying rules of influential presentations to maximize impact
- Maintaining compatible body language & using logic, credibility and passion
- Feedback and action planning
Day 3
Strategy in Negotiation Skills for Partners and Allies
- Steps in win-win negotiation
- The keys to collaborative bargaining in partnering
- Leverage: What it is and how to use it?
- Negotiation tactics and ploys
- Dealing with difficult negotiators and barriers
- Ethics in negotiation
Day 4
Higher Level Negotiation Skills for Challenging Situations
- Listening and responding to signals and informal information
- Recovering from reversals, errors and challenges
- Developing a climate of trust
- Higher level conversation techniques
- Concentrating action on the needs of alliance partners
Day 5
Maintaining Alliances: Critical Thinking for Decision Making
- Gaining control and using information – formal and informal
- Identifying sources and testing assumptions
- Framing the problem
- Decision making under pressure
- Reviewing strategic alliances and building personal action
This course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:
- Personnel from a wide range of business disciplines
- Delegates wishing to develop negotiation skills in alliance building
- Delegates who regularly work with external suppliers or customers
- Departmental Heads requiring to form interdepartmental alliances to achieve results