Everything is negotiable. Whether or not the negotiation is easy is another matter, but the first step is always communication.
Course overview
This course is designed to take you through the theory and practice of ‘Principled Negotiation’. It provides the tools and tips to allow you to separate people from the problem, evaluate options and find a position of mutual acceptance to achieve the win/win with your clients (and colleagues!)
Who’s it for?
Anyone who is involved in internal or external negotiations, particularly in final stages of securing bids and contracts. It is also very useful for those situations where clients are trying to push the boundaries of the contract – commonly known as ‘scope creep’.
Course format
Face to face: A one-day workshop for up to 12 people. This course includes hands-on techniques, working through theory and practical exercises.
Live Virtual Classroom: A 2 hour workshop designed to teach participants the fundamentals of negotiating, The difference between Positions & Interests, where the ZOPA (zone of potential agreement) is and how to ensure a win/win outcome.
Outcomes
This course will leave the participant equipped with:
a variety of negotiation styles and the know-how of when to use them
the methodology to frame your negotiation
the skill to identify your acceptance zone
the ability to manage conflict through to resolution.
Couple with this the ability to think creatively to provide options that focus on the interests of all parties. Finally, delegates will be able to find a mutually satisfactory outcome that helps the client relationship remain strong.
Content Outline
Defining negotiation – what is ‘Principled Negotiation’
Negotiation styles – qualities of a great negotiator
Know your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) and understand your ‘walk-away’ before you start
How do you handle the ‘bad news’ conversations with your clients? Could you do better? We all have to deal with tricky topics such as ‘scope creep’, project delays or unexpected costs. The course ‘Difficult Client Conversations‘ is designed to equip project managers, directors and other staff who need to handle awkard situations with valued clients.
Take what you’ve learnt and use it!
Research suggests that 80% of sales training is lost within 180 days. We also know that it takes at least six weeks to start embedding new behaviours as habits. So how do you maximise your training investment? One great way is one-to-one coaching.
“One-to-one coaching helped me overcome some of the barriers I faced as a technically minded person. I am now much more confident with clients.” Technical Director, RPS.
Free consultation
Have questions for us? Get your team started today and gain a new competitive advantage.
Just being on the service procurement framework for a major organisation doesn’t guarantee a flow of new business – you still need to be proactive. We’ll show you how to get in there and mine these frameworks. To build the relationships, position yourself and develop your reputation.
Price is important, particularly in the public sector or if it’s a real commodity service, but price isn’t everything. If you were the cheapest every time, would you win every time? People still matter. And we never lose sight of that.
Are you targeting the right clients and speaking to them regularly? Don’t lose out to your competitors, develop your own action driven BD Plan.
Try our Espresso Shot Learning – Our 30 min live webinar to give your team the key points and latest thinking in Business Development and Client Relationship Management.
The four ‘C’s – how to differentiate your offer in a crowded market
Whether you are selling engineering, consultancy or legal services, the climate can be harshly competitive. Annabel Miller shows how you can firmly position yourself and your solution, head and shoulders above your competitors.
“Frameworks are the mainstay of work for many of our clients. But all too often, after putting massive effort into securing their place, they then sit back and wait for the phone to ring.”
The challenge
Doing too many tenders / poor win rate on tenders
Our approach
Doing too many tenders, or having a poor win rate on tenders, is expensive and damages your reputation.
We give our clients a set of criteria for when they should tender. We make sure the criteria are right for their business, and that they are committed to them.
The three most important criteria are:
Did we know it was coming? Were we expecting this?
Do we know the authors of it? Do we have relationships with them?
Have we got the resource? Can we do it?
If we cannot get a good firm yes on those three then the chances of winning it are slim.
“Selling to the public sector presents some different challenges such as procurement rules and success criteria. However, they are still people buying from people and we need to recognise that relationship management is essential.”
We are a business development consultancy which is passionate about helping our clients develop processes, skills and behaviours that will result in increased sales and improved margins.
‘Selling’ can be a dirty word for some of our clients, but without the ability to sell we will struggle to be successful. Our sales training has been developed over years into an approach designed for our technically-minded clients. Courses include presentation and pitching, sales conversations and negotiation skills.
Bids & tenders
Learning how to write a winning bid is one of the most important business skills you can acquire. The layout, language and style you use may make the difference between a successful bid and one that comes close. See Courses
RETAIN
Client management
Existing clients pay your wages. Proactive client management ensures that you deliver services on time and on budget while meeting their expectations and nurturing a positive working relationship.
Client development
Delivering projects well is the first step in developing further opportunities, but it’s not enough. We need be proactive in building relationships, understanding our clients and their objectives, and positioning ourselves as trusted advisers.
Raising up leaders
Questas offers both one-to-one coaching and leadership training courses. This both embeds newly learned skills and establishes a culture of strong, skilled leadership. See Courses
CREATE
Reputation
According to research, your reputation – and that of your organisation – is the most important factor for clients when choosing who to consider for projects.
Relationships
People matter. It’s people (in most cases!) who make decisions. A strong network of relationships with clients, influencers and referrers will go a long way to helping you create opportunities for work. See Courses
