Introduction
Professional negotiation and influence skills for everyday workplace agreements is the focus of this 3-day course for specialists, team leaders, supervisors and coordinators, ending with a Workplace Negotiation Playbook. Units lose time and goodwill when deadlines, workload, service levels and supplier terms are settled by whoever pushes hardest, so agreements break down, requests are escalated and the same issues are argued again. Nominees already agree terms with colleagues, internal customers or suppliers, and the course is taught through short role-plays with feedback. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this professional negotiation and influence skills course.
Course Objectives
- Prepare a one-page negotiation sheet with goals, limits, interests and a fallback option
- Separate positions from interests in requests about deadlines, workload, service levels and resources
- Use calibrated questions, labeling and summarising to uncover needs and lower tension
- Frame proposals and package options so that the other party can accept them
- Respond to objections, pressure and last-minute demands without conceding value early
- Confirm agreements in writing with owners, dates and conditions to prevent later disputes
Target Audience
- Specialists responsible for agreeing scope, priorities and deadlines with colleagues in other units
- Team leaders responsible for allocating workload and settling competing requests within the team
- Supervisors responsible for shift cover, overtime and resource requests with peers and managers
- Coordinators responsible for agreeing service levels and handover terms with internal customers
- Customer and supplier-facing staff responsible for routine terms, delivery dates and service changes
Course Outline
Day 1: Interests, Positions and Negotiation Preparation
- Everyday Workplace Negotiation Types From Requests to Terms
- Positions Versus Interests Analysis on Real Work Requests
- BATNA and Walk-Away Point for Routine Agreements
- One-Page Negotiation Preparation Sheet for Workplace Requests
- Personal Negotiation Habits Review Using a Self-Check
Day 2: Questioning, Persuasive Framing and Handling Pushback
- Calibrated How and What Questions for Uncovering Needs
- Labeling and Mirroring Techniques for Lowering Tension
- Proposal Framing and Option Packages for Mutual Gain
- Objection Handling Sequence for Pressure and Last-Minute Demands
- Written Agreement Summary With Owners, Dates and Conditions
Day 3: Role-Play Practice and the Workplace Negotiation Playbook
- Deadline and Workload Role-Play Between Two Units
- Internal Service Level Role-Play With a Demanding Customer
- Supplier Delivery Change Role-Play With Option Packages
- Peer Feedback Rounds Using a Negotiation Observation Sheet
- Workplace Negotiation Playbook Completion and Personal Action Steps
Skills You Will Gain
- Negotiation Preparation
- Interest Identification
- Active Questioning
- Tension De-escalation
- Option Packaging
- Objection Handling
- Agreement Documentation
Why Attend This Course
- Hand the line manager a Workplace Negotiation Playbook with preparation sheets, question bank and agreement templates
- Judge when to accept, counter or step back from a request using a prepared walk-away point
- Avoid repeated disputes, escalations and broken agreements caused by vague verbal deals
- Share the preparation sheet and written agreement template with colleagues who negotiate daily
Conclusion
Back at work, the participant shares the Workplace Negotiation Playbook with the line manager, who uses it to agree which recurring requests, service terms or supplier changes the participant will now negotiate directly. Colleagues can adopt the same preparation sheet and written agreement template, so internal deals are recorded the same way. After the first month, the participant and manager should review the agreements reached, any that were reopened or escalated, and the playbook entries that need adjusting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What should participants know before the professional negotiation and influence skills course?
No prior negotiation training is needed. Participants should bring two or three recent work situations, such as a deadline, workload or service request, so that preparation sheets and role-plays use their own cases.
How does the professional negotiation and influence skills course differ from a stakeholder negotiation course for managers?
This course covers one-to-one and small-group agreements that specialists and team leaders reach every week. Manager-level courses address multi-party deals, stakeholder mapping and engagement planning for larger initiatives, which are not covered here.
Why does professional negotiation and influence rely on interests rather than positions?
Positions state what each side demands, while interests explain why. Asking about interests reveals options both sides can accept, such as a revised sequence or partial delivery, instead of a simple yes or no.
What do participants take back from the professional negotiation and influence skills course?
Participants take back a Workplace Negotiation Playbook with completed preparation sheets, a bank of calibrated questions, option packages, an objection handling sequence and a written agreement template for their own recurring situations.