Developing sales negotiation skills - Team coaching

Who might be interested in this coaching programme?

Sales/business manager who have ongoing relationships with customers or business partners, salespeople who are responsible for managing key accounts or a customer portfolio which is relevant to the corporate mission.

Aims

• Encourage the acquisition/strengthening of skills related to effective communication, with a focus on sales negotiations:
• Learning techniques to practice conscious listening;
• Learning to formulate questions aimed at gathering information in the most diverse contexts;
• Improve the management of feedback aimed at improving your own and colleagues’ performance;
• Define and managing objectives;
• Promoting the acquisition/strengthening of skills related to the negotiation processes;
• Acquisition of skills typical of cooperative negotiation, aimed at generating long-term relationships.

Co-designing and coaching method

• An effective coaching program is co-designed: the coach, HR people and the management design together contents and teaching method that can generate the desired learning results.
• People attending the coaching program will benefit from a variety of tools: exercises, videos, role plays, discussions (also online) will help to identify behaviours and actions that allow them to achieve the desired goals.
• During the study, the coach will assist participants with a forum and a discussion group: people will have the chance to discuss issues that are crucial for their job.
• Participants will also have educational material, articles, reviews of films and books that help them to expand and consolidate the knowledge acquired.

Contents and structure of the coaching programme

1. The co-design of the coaching programme will involve the coach, the HR function, the management and the participants;
2. Preparation of the presentation to the participants by the coach, approval by the HR function and management;
3. Presentation of the programme to the participants, then introductory classroom session;
4. Use of the e-learning training courses provided by the coach (details below), which contribute to building the knowledge base that supports the classroom sessions. Participants have from 2 to 4 weeks to complete each course: during this period, they can count on the assistance of the coach. The e-learning courses are the following:
   • The power of questions
   • Improve your listening skills
   • Objectives and goals management
5. Six classroom sessions of four hours each:
   • The introductory session and the two following sessions will focus on effective communication;
   • The last three sessions will focus on negotiation skills (see below for the contents);
   • In essence, the classroom sessions will have the task of encouraging the learning of negotiation techniques and at the same time strengthen the skills necessary to support them;
   • The teaching method and learning needs of the participants could require one or more additional classroom sessions;
6. Approximate duration of 6 months;
7. The coach will assist the participants during the study. The assistance will be carried out via a forum and a discussion group;
8. There will be moments of exchange of information between the coach, the management and the HR function, aimed at making the course more effective;
9. At the end of each e-learning course and of the whole coaching programme participants, having passed the final test can download the certificate of attendance.

Contents related to negotiation skills

Negotiation and related concepts

• Negotiation as a means of settling conflicting interests
• Identify the structure of the negotiation, interests and objectives of the involved parties
• Define tactics and negotiating strategy

The role of perception

• The importance of information as a means of interpreting the structure of the negotiations
• To acquire the awareness that reality can be perceived differently by the parties involved
• Tips for looking at reality with different eyes

Negotiating keeping a specific position

• I win, you lose: negotiation as a zero-sum game
• The difference between hard and soft negotiation style: the role of power
• When you should be soft and when being inflexible would make you win
• When, to triumph, you end up losing everything

Planning the negotiations accurately

• Why the success of the negotiation lies mainly in its preparation
• Identify the negotiation phases and treat them individually, carefully planning your actions
• Analyse in detail all aspects of the negotiation so as not to neglect the key points

Restructuring the negotiation

• Give new structure to the negotiation context: leave your hard/soft position and start negotiating cooperatively
• Why it is in your interest to pay attention to the needs of your counterpart
• Learn to develop options as a means of not remaining closed in the price angle
• Tips for using the paradox to restructure the negotiation context

The “sustainable” negotiation

• What is it, why should it be designed with accuracy
• Why your desire to win can make you lose.
• Techniques for designing “sustainable” solutions