Advanced Negotiation Skills
An advanced executive programme in negotiation strategy, influence and commercial bargaining for high-stakes organisational and commercial discussions.
5 Days
Programme overview
Most negotiators default to one of two instincts under pressure: conceding too early to preserve the relationship, or pushing too hard and damaging it. Neither produces a consistently strong outcome. Advanced Negotiation Skills is built for professionals who already negotiate as part of their role and need to move beyond instinct towards a deliberate, repeatable negotiation practice.
The programme covers the full negotiation cycle, preparation and strategy, the communication and influence skills that shape how a negotiation actually unfolds, the bargaining and concession dynamics of the table itself, and the commercial and relationship considerations that determine whether an agreement holds after it is signed. Throughout, the emphasis is on practical technique participants can apply immediately, not abstract negotiation theory.
Why this programme matters
The outcome of a single high-stakes negotiation, a commercial contract, a supplier agreement, an internal resource dispute, can outweigh months of routine management effort, and the difference between a strong and a weak outcome is rarely the facts of the deal. It is preparation, the ability to separate interests from stated positions, and disciplined handling of concessions and difficult counterparts under pressure. Executives and managers who negotiate well protect margin, relationships and organisational credibility in exactly the moments where those things are most exposed.
Learning objectives
- Prepare systematically for a negotiation, rather than relying on instinct in the moment.
- Distinguish the other party's stated position from their underlying interests.
- Apply questioning and listening technique to surface information that shapes negotiation strategy.
- Use persuasion and influence deliberately, without resorting to pressure tactics that damage trust.
- Manage bargaining and concessions in a disciplined, planned way.
- Handle difficult, adversarial or unpredictable negotiating counterparts.
- Negotiate commercial terms while protecting the underlying business relationship.
- Convert a negotiated agreement into terms that can actually be implemented and sustained.
Key programme highlights
- Structured negotiation preparation and planning
- Distinguishing interests from stated positions
- Questioning and listening technique as a negotiation tool, not just a communication skill
- Persuasion and influence in a negotiation context
- Bargaining strategy and the disciplined management of concessions
- Handling difficult or adversarial negotiators
- Commercial negotiation and relationship management
- Turning a negotiated agreement into an outcome that actually gets implemented
Training methodology
The programme is delivered through facilitator-led sessions, negotiation case studies, and structured negotiation simulations and role-play exercises in which participants plan, conduct and debrief real negotiation scenarios, building practical skill rather than theoretical knowledge alone.
Who should attend
- Senior Executives and Managers
- Procurement Professionals
- Commercial and Contracts Teams
- Sales and Business Development Professionals
- Project and Programme Managers
- Legal and Contract Negotiators
- Anyone regularly responsible for high-stakes organisational or commercial negotiations
Organisational impact
- Stronger commercial outcomes from supplier, client and partner negotiations
- Reduced value erosion from poorly managed concessions
- More productive resolution of internal negotiations and resource disputes
- Agreements that are more likely to be implemented as negotiated, not renegotiated later
- A consistent, disciplined negotiation approach across the organisation
- Preserved commercial relationships even through difficult negotiations
Personal impact
- A repeatable, practical framework for negotiation preparation and execution
- Greater confidence negotiating under pressure or against a difficult counterpart
- Stronger questioning and listening technique
- Improved ability to manage concessions without conceding unnecessary value
- Greater credibility and composure in high-stakes commercial discussions
Course outline
Considering this for your organisation?
Talk to our corporate learning team about delivering this programme, or a bespoke variant of it, for your team.