Communication Negotiation Skills

Course Overview

Understand the importance of interpersonal communications and sharpen your negotiation skills.

A study of verbal and nonverbal communication techniques will start your skills building and get you on your way to communicating clearly and directly. Learn the consequences of poor communication and how to avoid it through open communication and fixing communication breakdowns. A study of active listening, tailoring your discussion to the audience, and being aware of your body language, will help you learn to engage effectively with others. You'll understand how to set clear expectations and manage language and cultural barriers with local and remote teams.

The second half of the course delves into the intricacies of negotiation. Learn how to plan your negotiations and become familiar with best practices. Develop strategies to counter dirty tricks and games, negotiate "no" with your boss, and manage team negotiations. Learn strategies that will help you get past impasses and deadlocks.

The featured role-playing exercises allow you to practice applying the skills you've gained in the course.

Target Audience

Course Objectives

What You'll Learn

• Internal communication process
• Listening and questioning skills
• Nonverbal communication
• Deal with nontechnical people
• Negotiation overview
• Negotiation process and planning
• Deal with tough negotiators

Hands-On Exercises

• How to use a negotiation planner
• An unplanned negotiation to purchase a vintage car
• Post negotiation self-assessment
• Conduct technical and non-technical negotiations
• Negotiate with "the impossible VP"
• Deal with an angry client
• A clash of cultures
• Being too technical
• Negotiate with internal clients
• Deal with tough negotiators
• Handling games and dirty tricks
• Negotiation best practices checklist

Course Content

Creating a Customer Focus

• The consequences of poor communication
• Your role in creating a customer focus at work

Communication Skills

• Interpersonal communication
  Your role in ensuring clear communication on the team
  How team communication breaks down and how to fix it

Nonverbal Communication Skills

• Learn how to read nonverbal gestures in others
• Look for clues and hidden meanings
• The 20 most common North American gestures
• Common international gestures

Dealing with Non-Technical Customers

• How to communicate clearly with non-technical people

Listening and Questioning Skills

• The difference between hearing and listening
• The practice of active listening
• Discuss the barriers to effective listening
• How and when to actively listen

What is Negotiation?

• How and when to negotiate
• Impromptu, informal, and formal negotiations
• How to negotiate when the boss "ambushesyou
• Cultural differences in negotiations
• Controlling your emotions
• Individual negotiating styles

Planning a Negotiation

• How to plan for any type of negotiation
• The five-minute negotiation
• Running a negotiation from start to finish

Dealing with Angry Customers and Conflict

• What to do and avoid
• Dealing with screamers
• How to control yourself in times of conflict
• Handling conflict in a negotiation

Remote and Offshore Teams

• Simple rules to follow to ensure open communication

Using E-mail, Phone, and Face-to-Face

• Advantages and disadvantages of each method
• When to use and not use each method

Dealing with the Tough Negotiators

• Define the three types of tough negotiators
• How to stay calm
• Plan to deal with any tough negotiator

Strategies and Tactics of Negotiation

• Spot and diffuse the dirty tricks
• Common games people play
• Counter ploys
• Use of physical settings to watch out for
• Managing your team in a negotiation

Impasse and Deadlock

• An escalation process to help you move forward

Course Prerequisites

• Project Management Essentials
• IT Project Management
• Applied Project Management
• Management and Leadership Skills for New Managers