The “Course Topics” series from Manage Train Learn and Slide Topics is a collection of over 4000 slides that will help you master a wide range of management and personal development skills. The 202 PowerPoints in this series offer you a complete and in-depth study of each topic. This presentation is on "A Negotiation Game Plan".

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
INFLUENCING AND
NEGOTIATING SKILLS
A Negotiation Game Plan

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
The Course Topics series from Manage Train Learn is a large collection of topics that will help you as a learner
to quickly and easily master a range of skills in your everyday working life and life outside work. If you are a
trainer, they are perfect for adding to your classroom courses and online learning plans.
COURSE TOPICS FROM MTL
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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
ARE YOU READY?
OK, LET’S START!

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
INTRODUCTION
Although each set of negotiations is unique, there are a
number of common themes in all kinds of negotiations,
whether they are big or small, mundane or powerful. One of
the common themes is that negotiations are like a game. To
engage in negotiations requires at least two players. Like
games, there are set rules which are acknowledged by all
participants. Also, like games, there are ritual moves and
manoeuvres, aimed at short-term gain. At any one time, one
side or another is in the lead, a position that may be only
temporary or last the whole game. Finally, like a game of
chance or a game of sport, people come away with feelings
of winning or losing even if they are ready to engage again
the next time round.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
RULE 1: FITNESS
Good negotiating is an art that is learned from experience.
Like any game of squash, the more matches you play, the
fitter you'll be.
Fortunately, you can practise negotiations in everyday
situations, from booking a holiday to buying a car, to
ordering a meal.
You should expect your experience to be your teacher.
"Negotiation in business is about people with money
meeting people with experience: the people with
experience get the money; the people with the money get
the experience."

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
TACTICS...
As with any sport, the more you play, the more tactics you
will find being available to you. Some tactics, feints and
ruses are acceptable in negotiations, some are not.
What's OK:
It's OK to present your best case
It's OK to exaggerate
It's OK to let people deceive themselves
It's OK to exploit others' weaknesses
It's OK to put a slant on things that presents your best case.
What's not OK:
It's not OK to lie with malice
It's not OK to deliberately deceive
It's not OK to seek illegal advantage
It's not OK to cheat people to get what you want.
It's not OK to make promises you don't plan to keep.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
RULE 2: ADVANTAGE SERVER
When you serve in a game of squash, you have the
advantage of deciding how you'd like the point to be played.
You put the onus on the other side to respond to your
moves.
You can take the part of server in negotiations if you...
1. use your premises
2. set the agenda
3. decide the order of discussion
4. lead the discussion
5. do most of the listening
6. decide what aspects you want to discuss and what you
want to ignore
7. keep them in the dark about your real needs
8. seek tactical advantages.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
RULE 3: FOLLOW THE BALL
In the game of squash, it is what happens to the ball that
matters not what happens to the player. In the same way, in
negotiations, it is the issues that are important not the
personalities.
Your opponents may try to use every trick in the book to
unsettle you by being personal. They may flatter you, charm
you, cajole you, ridicule you, threaten you, reward you,
belittle you, sweet-talk you. All of this is to get you to budge
on the issues and concede to what they want.
Keep your eye on the ball and you won't succumb.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
RULE 4: GO TO THE T
The "T" is the centre of the squash court. Whoever occupies
it has command of play. The person on the T is in the best
position to play the ball anywhere in the court without
moving themselves. It is the place every negotiator should
aim to be.
It is better to be…
1. questioner than responder
2. listener than talker
3. still than on the run
4. in control of events than at the mercy of events
5. thinking than doing
6. in the centre than on the edge
7. in the eye of the storm than in the storm.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
RULE 5: VERSATILITY
The best squash players are the most versatile ones. They
can serve, block, defend, attack, rally, wait their turn, go for
a winner.
In negotiations, the advantage goes to the side who are
most versatile. Through preparation, practice and
experience, they have a repertoire of arguments, tactics,
gambits and positions; they can move forwards, backwards
and sideways at will; and they never find themselves
trapped in a corner or short of a creative solution out of an
impasse.
The squash player uses ball and racquet; the negotiator uses
his or her wits.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
RULE 6: THINK AHEAD
The skilful in all sports are those who are able to look ahead
several shots. They are thus able to prepare their own
moves in advance.
The same kind of anticipation is valuable in negotiations.
Before you make a proposal to the other side, anticipate
how they are likely to react and be ready with your answer.
When you think ahead,
1. you play the game in your head first
2. you don't let yourself be surprised
3. you don't get wrong-footed
4. you don't lose the initiative
5. you have a better view of the game.
When you think ahead, you give the impression of being on
top.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
RULE 7: DON'T RELAX
There is just a brief moment after you play a good shot in
squash when you become vulnerable. You allow yourself a
congratulatory smile for being on top. This is when you can
let down your guard.
Don't relax; don't rest on your laurels; don't think you've
won; don't feel pleased with yourself; don't look back. You
have a job to finish.
In negotiations, there is always a danger of believing things
are going your way and so relaxing your guard. For example,
when you look round your dream house, and realise it's
what you want, it is hard not to show it. This hands power
straight into the hands of the astute seller who will simply
extract a higher price from you.
Keep your feelings to yourself until the end.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
TEN TRY-ONS
The following are examples of "try-ons" that
opponents might make in negotiations, together
with your possible responses.
1. When they say our hands are tied, ask to see
someone who does have authority.
2. When they say "it's policy", they hope you
won't probe further. Instead, test them.
3. When they say "what are you offering in
return?", put a value on their offer.
4. When they get angry, they hope you will be
unsettled. Instead, stay calm.
5. When they plead with you, they hope you'll
feel sorry. Instead, get back on track.
6. When they say "final", they hope you'll give
up. Instead, shift the ground elsewhere.
7. When they say "no way", they hope you'll
argue back. Instead, put the issue to one side
and move on.
8. When they show hurt, they hope you will feel
bad. Instead, ignore it.
9. When they say they can't, they hope you will
believe them. Instead, check if they really can't.
10. When they demand something more, they
hope you'll concede. Instead, stick to your
points.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
RULE 8: THINK IT THROUGH
Every shot you make in squash should be made mentally
before you make it physically.
Do the same in negotiations. Whenever you make a
proposal or reply to one, think it through:
1. don't dismiss a proposal from the other side out of hand
or simply because you distrust them: think it through
2. don't give instant or off-the-cuff responses: think it
through
3. don't talk on behalf of your colleagues; they may have
ideas you hadn't thought about. Adjourn and think it
through.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
RULE 9: STAY IN CROUCH
The "crouch" position is squash is the ready position. You
should start in crouch and stay in crouch until the match is
won.
The equivalent position in negotiations is the "tough"
position. The opposition will try to weaken your position by
every trick, mentally, emotionally, even physically with long
tiring sessions. Stay tough.
Toughness creates softness in the other side; softness
creates toughness.
In the words of the gold rush pioneers...
"This is the law of the Yukon,
That only the strong shall thrive;
For surely the weak will perish
And only the fit survive."

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
RULE 10: DON'T RELAX
It is so easy to mentally throw yourself over the line when
agreement seems near, that this rule should read
"strengthen your resolve on the last few points.“
The danger is that as they get close to a conclusion which
they think will be a winning one, inexperienced negotiators
become casual, careless and relaxed. It is at these moments
that experienced negotiators can pounce, wresting
important concessions just so that "we can wrap things up.“
The tiger is at his most dangerous towards the end of the
fight when, appearing to walk away, he senses his
opponents relax their guard. It is then that he makes his
strike.

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
THAT’S
IT!
WELL DONE!

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A Negotiation Game Plan
Influencing and Negotiating Skills
MTL Course Topics
THANK YOU
This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn