Negotiation Skills Training: Preparing For And Dealing With Complex Negotiations Using Best Practice Preparation Techniques

The critical negotiation skill required to unlock optimal value from complex business negotiation environments is to identify and understand the interests of all the players affected by or participating in the negotiation. In some cases, it is simple to understand both the positions & interests of stakeholders in the negotiation. In most cases, however, it is not only hard to identify the interests of stakeholders; it is also difficult to identify all the key players.

How to negotiate in complex, multi-party negotiations?

1. Identify all the participants in the negotiation

This may be stating the obvious but in reality, it is often difficult to identify and keep track of all the stakeholders in a negotiation. In a commercial environment, we should at minimum attempt to identify the following stakeholders:

a. Financial stakeholders

These are the people or groups that will finance, underwrite or lend authorisation to reach an agreement based on the monetary terms suggested. It is important to uncover all potential individuals that may have an interest in the purely financial dimensions of the negotiation.

b. User/consumer stakeholders

These are the individuals or groups that will implement and support the outcome of the agreement that is reached. These are the parties that will live and work with the output of the negotiations on a day to day basis.

c. Technical & legal stakeholders

These are the parties or groups that will agree to and agree to the technical and contractual dimensions of the negotiations.

d. Guides/Gurus & other Influencers

These are the individuals or groups that hold important influence over the central decision makers involved in the negotiation.

2. Identify the interests of each stakeholder in the negotiation

There are primarily two ways to identify an individual or group's interest in a negotiation. The 1st way is to put yourself in that person or group's position and to attempt to see things from his/her/their point of view. What supporting data would you require? What precedents would come into play? What assumptions can you make, and test? The 2nd way is to ask the individual or group a number of questions to assist you (and them) to accurately identify their key interests. The best question to ask is "Why?" "Why is this negotiation important to you? Why are you assuming this position? Why are these options being explored?"

3. Create a frame that is appropriate for each stakeholder

Having identified the interests of each participant, you should now create the appropriate frame. Different people take decisions for different reasons. It is not useful to highlight the same points to support decision making to all stakeholders. You should focus on communicating the most useful frame to each participant or potential participant.

4. Create an effective management structure for the negotiation

If our counter parties experience us to be rational, the odds are significantly increased that they will also respond to us in a rational fashion. We can only present a unified and rational 'front' if we have thought about the roles & responsibilities within our negotiation team. Split the responsibility in the team between those that will manage the Relationship dimensions, and those that will manage or be involved in the Task dimensions.

Negotiation skills training teaches us to create an agenda that addresses the interests of all potential stakeholders. A successful way to simplify complex negotiations is to add structure. We need to focus on the process aspects to ensure that we make progress at every level of the negotiation. You will find that complexity can be managed with the use of an appropriate supporting structure.

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