Opus College of Business Home
Favorites ()
Apply
Students and alums chat during a breakfast event.

Become a Better Negotiator

Strategies for Effective Negotiation

Whether you want to be better equipped to negotiate salaries with new hires, prices with vendors, or mediate conflicts that arise, the St. Thomas Strategies for Effective Negotiation program gives you tools you can use. In-class exercises help you hone your skills, so they’re ready to use at work on Monday morning.

To excel as a business leader, it’s critical to master the art and science of negotiating. The St. Thomas Strategies for Effective Negotiation program gives you a foundation in key strategies, which help you guide conversations and conflict toward a win-win. In this program, you’ll learn to:

  • Actively manage conflict in negotiation
  • Negotiate using problem-solving methodologies
  • Effectively negotiate across cultures
  • Identify non-verbal, verbal and emotional cues to create leverage during negotiations

In-class exercises give you opportunities to practice your new negotiation skills, so you’re more prepared to use them at work. Small class sizes create a collaborative learning environment and help you build your professional network. Sessions are held on our convenient downtown Minneapolis campus, and parking is available within one block. There are no prerequisites for this program.

Contact

Abbey Welle

Program Manager
Email
abbey.welle@stthomas.edu
Phone Number
(651) 962-4616
Students talk during a class discussion. 

Is This Program for You?

The Strategies for Effective Negotiation program is ideal for those who:

  • Are entrepreneurs looking to enhance their skillset in this critical area
  • Source products and services locally, nationally and internationally
  • Manage supplier or vendor relationships
  • Hire employees and negotiate salaries
  • Need to negotiate and manage conflicts using methods other than face-to-face such as email, phone or web conference
  • Manage projects by negotiating for time, resources and funding with internal and external stakeholders
  • Negotiate across cultures

Benefits of This Program

The Strategies for Effective Negotiation will increase your ability to:

Be prepared for any type of negotiation.

Learn the different types of negotiation and effective ways to approach each. Practice in class so you are ready when it counts.

Choose the right tactic for the situation.

Armed with the ability to identify your counterpart’s positions and interests, you can apply framing techniques to better position yourself with leverage.

Feel confident in your abilities.

Practice different approaches to negotiation in class, so you’re better prepared to use them at work.

Build your network

Learn with a class of professional peers. This is a network you can turn to for support and advice long after the program ends.

Kris Gerber, Strategies for Effective Negotiation program participant, talks about the importance of the program and the instructor's teaching style.

To get where they are today, the most successful business executives throughout the world have had to master the art of negotiating. Though everyone negotiates in some form both at home and at work, very few people have taken the time to fine tune their negotiating style and learn new techniques to successfully prevent and resolve conflict.

Curriculum

Dive into the art and science behind negotiation. Gain an understanding of:

  • What is negotiable
  • How to identify positions and interest of those in the negotiation
  • The BATNA and ZOPA frameworks to identify the right negotiation strategy for various scenarios
  • Uses of persuasion and strategies of influence
  • Tools and frameworks to prepare for any negotiation

Conflict is inherent when two or more sides are not on the same page. Explore:

  • What is conflict & how can I manage it?
  • Strategies for dealing with difficult tactics
  • In-class practice and case study activities

Communication style influences the way a negotiation plays out. Through in-class practices and discussion, you’ll feel confident in handling:

  • Supplier and customer relationships
  • Internal vs. external communication
  • Verbal vs. nonverbal communication

Identify how emotion affects the way you proceed through a negotiation. Using real-life scenarios, explore:

  • Verbal and non-verbal expression and messaging.
  • Power dynamics in a negotiation
  • The role of relationships while negotiating successful outcomes

Today, negotiation can take many forms, with many happening over email. In this module you will:

  • Explore internal vs. external dynamics in email
  • Understand communication faux pas
  • Practice email negotiation in teams between sessions
  • Receive peer feedback on email negotiation

Adding multiple parties to a negotiation can change the way you approach the situation. After this session, you will:

  • Understand the difference between one-to-one and multi-party negotiation
  • Explore ways to approach and prepare for multi-party negotiations
  • Practice in-class so you know what to do when it really counts

Negotiation in commodity purchases has nuances. Gain an understanding of:

  • How to approach commodity purchases
  • Concession strategies

Negotiation across cultures requires additional consideration.

  • Explore different approaches when it comes to international and multicultural negotiation.
  • Leave with tools and tactics to successfully approach international negotiations.

Related Programs

Take the Next Step

St. Thomas Executive Education programs give you cutting-edge, practical knowledge and real-world skills you can apply at work the very next day. Gain the tools and techniques to be a more effective, strategic leader.
Request Information