Negotiation and Influencing Skills

April 2930, 2012

Overview
This course combines two interrelated skills, influencing and negotiating. These two skills go
hand in hand in todays business world. The ability to influence people with agreement and
collaboration will greatly assist in negotiations.

Course Objectives
At the end of the course, learners will be able to:

understand the power of influencing and persuasion

identify and apply effective persuasion techniques and principles
understand what negotiation is and the types of negotiations that individuals use for
specific outcomes
understand the primary principles of negotiation and ways that others influence us
understand the benefits of a good negotiation skills taking the interests of both parties
into consideration
ask questions and analyze others point of view to build trust and good relationship during
negotiation
develop a win-win approach while making and containing concessions
identify and demonstrate understanding of common negotiation tactics and how to
recognize their use

Pre-Training Activities
Prior to the course, all participants will be asked to complete some pre-training activities.
This work will help determine what participants would do in an actual situation involving
negotiation and influencing competencies. It will help you focus on the most important
aspects of the course and enable you to relate the learning to your own specific areas. The
following material will be distributed to all participants prior to the course:

Negotiating Skills Self-Assessment: This helps you determine what you need to be good
a negotiator. It explores how poor negotiation can negatively affect communication with
others.
SWOT Analysis: Understanding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, both
of individuals and organizations, enables learners to pre-plan their responses, and put
them in a stronger negotiation positions.
A series of separate negotiating situations: Participants are required to decide which of
the alternative actions they would take. The answers will be analyzed and discussed during
the course.

Course Duration
2 days
Course Content: Day One

Introductions of Participants
Power of Influencing/Persuasion
Understand that persuasion is about getting to shared understanding and agreement

Importance of persuasion
ACE model of persuasion effectiveness
Appropriateness
Consistency
Effectiveness
The Persuasion Process
Understand others motivations and needs
Establish credibility
Find common ground
Engage in joint problem solving
Support preferred outcome with logic and reasoning
Create an emotional connection

What Is Negotiation and Why Is It Important?

Definition
Why do we negotiate?
Benefits of effective negotiation skills

Types and Strategies of Negotiation

Understand the different strategies used in negotiation

Adversarial/positional
Interest-based/principled
Common outcomes of negotiation
Lose-Lose
Win-Lose
Win-Win
No Result

Negotiation Styles
Understand the different styles of negotiation that are appropriate in different
circumstances

Importance of outcome vs. importance of relationship

Collaboration
Competition
Accommodation
Avoidance
Compromising
Course Content: Day Two

Core Principles of Negotiation

Understand the primary principles of negotiation and ways that others influence us

Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)

Zone for Possible Agreement (ZOPA)
Wants vs. Needs
Empathy

Steps to Negotiating
Understanding the five steps for effective negotiation and adapting to the different
communication styles that can surface during the negotiation process

Analysis
Perpetration and planning
Definition of common grounds
Clarification and justification
Bargaining and problem solving
Closure and implementation

Investigating Interest
Helps participants understand the aspirations and interest of the negotiation counterpart
and why they have taken that standpoint

Importance of interest
Focus on interest not positions
Uncover common interestsnegotiable variables or tradable concessions
Rules for making concessions
Look for negotiable variables
Create options

Handling Deadlock
Avoid immovable positions
Ask questions

Building Trust and Relationship

Understand the importance of trust among both sides and how to develop it

Trust in negotiation
Tips for building trust
Characteristics of Effective Negotiator
Understand the difference between being tough and being effective

Look at buying and selling in the same deal

Keep the whole package in mind
Have good alternative
Be an effective communicator
Have an eye for body language
Always stay in control

Tactics and Barriers to Effective Negotiation

Understand the common tactics used in negotiation and how they can interfere with a
successful negotiation outcome effective negotiation

Integrity and ethics in negotiation

Common tactics
Use appropriate countermeasures in the face of the most commonly used tactics

Close and Individual Action Plans

Post-Training Activities
When returning to work to implement the action plan, the learners should ideally be
supported by their line manager, rather than have the responsibility for implementation rest
entirely on the individual. The line manager is encouraged to hold a debriefing meeting with
the participant soon after his/her return to work, covering a number of questions, basically
discussing and agreeing the action plan and arranging support for the learner in his/her
implementation. Each participant is encouraged to review the individual action plan with his/
her line manager.

Revision of the self-assessment: An analysis to the pre-work/self-assessment instrument

will be distributed during the course. Based on this analysis, participants are encouraged to
review their answers and prepare an outline for self-improvement. A questionnaire will be
distributed to help them with their plan.

Negotiation skills follow-up assessment: Managers and supervisors will evaluate the
learners performance after attending the training session as well as monitor his/her
progress.

Additional exercises will be distributed that will help the learners put some of the ideas
learned during the training into their daily work.

Recommend books for supplementary reading

Course Director

Catherine Chikhani is a highly experienced management consultant who has worked in

Lebanon, the United States, Belgium, Bahrain and the UAE for more than 20 years. During
this time, she has worked for a number of medical and educational institutions with a
global presence, such as AMIDEAST, Harvard Overseas Executive Programs and the Berlitz
Language Center. In 2002, Ms. Chikhani moved into consultancy, offering group training
and management coaching focusing on operational management tailor-made to suit
the requirements of foreign and local companies operating in the region. She excelled
in tackling management change issues, business development challenges and difficulties
revolving around cultural differences. Ms. Chikhani is a certified NLP Master Coach and holds
an MBA degree with a concentration in organizational behavior and change management
from the American University in Dubai, and a BS in Pharmacy from the American University
in Beirut. She is fluent in both English and Arabic and has exceptional capability in
conducting her work in both languages.

Venue
This course will be held on the distinguished campus of American University of Sharjah,
www.aus.edu. Free parking and free wireless Internet access are available to the guests.
Internet spots and fax, photocopy and printing services are also available upon request.

Material
Instructors handouts and presentation notes

Certificate
Participants who attend and complete the course obtain two Certificates of Accomplishment:
one from AUS and one from AMIDEAST. The certificate awarded by AUS is signed by the
universitys Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management. The certificate
awarded from AMIDEAST is signed by the AMIDEAST Country Director.
Course Fee
The course fee includes course attendance, course material, coffee breaks and snacks, and
Certificates of Accomplishment.

Public Fee: AED 2,500 per person

Early Registration: AED 2,250
(for registrations received one month before the course starts)
Groups of two or more and AUS alumni: AED 2,100 per person

Registration closes two weeks before the first day of class.

About AUS AMIDEAST Professional Development

Courses
American University of Sharjah (AUS) and America-Mideast Educational & Training Services
Inc. (AMIDEAST), a not-for-profit educational organization, have a strategic partnership
for testing and professional training. Both organizations have a common goal: to provide
updated and advanced courses for professionals in the Gulf region for reasonable fees.
Many successful courses have already taken place under this partnership and more are
coming. As both AUS and AMIDEAST are aware of the importance of professional training
as an investment in human capital, special arrangements, such as discounted fees and hotel
reservations, are available for organizations sponsoring course participants.

Tailored Executive Courses

Executive education programs can be designed according to an organizations specific needs.
AUS and AMIDEAST will ensure the instructors availability and arrange the communication
between the organization and the instructor. The organization usually will conduct the
administrative tasks, but AUS/AMIDEAST can provide support upon request.
 Course Registration Form
Negotiation and Influencing Skills
April 2930, 2012
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Venue and Timings

Venue: American University of Sharjah
Timing: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Workshop Fee
Fee: Public Fee: AED 2,500 per person
Early Registration: AED 2,250
(for registrations received one month before the course starts)
Groups of two or more and AUS alumni: AED 2,100 per person

Payment and Cancellation

An invoice will be sent upon receipt of your registration form. For payments to AUS an AUS
ID number will be issued. Please contact AUS for details. If a participant cancels three or
more weeks before the course starts, a full refund applies less an administrative fee of AED
500. No refund applies for cancellations requested less than two weeks before the course
start date. AUS and AMIDEAST reserve the right to make changes in the course program,
venue and speakers or to cancel the course when conditions prevail.

Declaration

I have read and understood the refund policy and the cancellation conditions.
Signature and Full Name:

For any inquiries please contact:

AUS: Tel +971 6 515 1014/5 Fax +971 6 515 1011 epapailia@aus.edu, bniyas@aus.edu
AMIDEAST: Tel +9712 445 7248 Ext. 237 uae.training@amideast.org