Program Overview
When you’re discussing project scope with a client, determining budget allocations with finance, securing resources from senior leadership, establishing vendor contracts, setting pricing for your services, or forming strategic partnerships—you’re negotiating. The question isn’t whether you negotiate; it’s whether you do it strategically.
Business Negotiation is a comprehensive training program that transforms participants from reactive bargainers into strategic deal-makers. Drawing from decades of research in game theory, behavioral economics, and negotiation science, this program equips professionals with frameworks and tactics to create value, claim value, and build relationships that lead to sustainable business success.
Partner with us
We believe in the power of collaboration. By partnering with OSI, you’ll receive customized solutions tailored to your unique business needs. From initial consultation to implementation and evaluation, we’re with you every step of the way.
Discover how our programs can transform your organization and unlock new opportunities for growth.
Benefits and Outcomes
Participants learn that negotiation isn’t about “winning” or manipulating others—it’s about creating value that didn’t exist before the conversation. The best negotiators expand the pie before dividing it, build long-term relationships while securing favorable terms, and find creative solutions that satisfy both parties’ underlying interests.
Program participants will walk away with concrete skills related to:
- Positional vs. Interest-Based Negotiation – Understand why haggling over positions creates deadlock, while exploring underlying interests unlocks creative solutions.
- Creating Value vs. Claiming Value – Master the dual challenge of negotiation: expanding the total value available (integrative bargaining) while securing your fair share (distributive bargaining).
- Research and Intelligence Gathering – Investigate the other party’s business pressures, constraints, and priorities and identify stakeholders and decision-making processes.
- Setting Objectives and Limits – Define ideal and target outcomes, identify your reservation point, and anticipate trade-offs and concessions.
- Developing A Negotiation Strategy – Choose between competitive, collaborative, or mixed approaches.
- Opening Moves and Anchoring – Master the art of the first offer and understand the role of anchoring bias.
- Managing Emotions and Difficult Tactics – Recognize emotional triggers, and respond to hardball tactics: ultimatums, take-it-or-leave-it offers, artificial deadlines.
- Breaking Deadlocks and Impasses – Identify why negotiations stall and reframe issues to create new possibilities.
- Identifying Next Steps – Documenting terms, or recognizing when to walk away, while leaving doors open for future opportunities.
Customization and Implementation
Ideal For:
- Sales professionals and business development teams
- Procurement and supply chain managers
- Project managers and consultants
- Entrepreneurs and small business owners
- Account managers and client-facing roles
- HR professionals handling compensation negotiations
- Anyone who negotiates contracts, pricing, partnerships, or deals
Available Formats:
- Standard Program: Three 2-hour sessions (6 hours total) via Zoom or in-person
- Intensive Workshop: Full-day immersive training with extended simulations
- Executive Program: Advanced strategies for C-suite and senior leaders
- Industry-Specific Customization: Tailored to real estate, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, professional services, or your sector
Advanced Topics Include:
- Multi-Party Negotiations
- Cross-Cultural Negotiation
- Virtual Negotiation
- Negotiating with Difficult Personalities
- Long-Term Relationship Negotiation
- Internal Negotiations
Why Choose This Program
Reading about negotiation doesn’t make you a skilled negotiator any more than reading about swimming makes you a swimmer. You must practice in realistic scenarios with expert coaching. URI OSI’s Business Negotiation training dedicates 50%+ of program time to simulations, role-plays, and exercises where participants:
- Experience the stress and uncertainty of real negotiations
- Make mistakes in safe environments where stakes are low
- Receive immediate feedback on what worked and what didn’t
- Iterate and improve before facing real-world consequences
This program provides specialized skills for situations where parties have competing interests and must reach formal agreements—scenarios requiring different preparation, tactics, and mindsets than everyday workplace conversations.