Negotiation preparation: from facts to game plan
Prepare and run a one-to-one negotiation step by step, from the fact sheet to the final offer, on one cinema-chain case.
About this course
Most negotiations are lost before anyone sits down: the facts are thin, the levers untested and the plan stops at the first offer. This course gives you a five-step method, Facts, Power, Plan, Play, Learn, and the planner to go with it.
You will score levers on cost, credibility and impact, sort every issue into must-haves, trades and nice-to-haves, and draw a game plan with an opening menu, a package ladder and an escalation trigger. Then you run a full case: a cinema chain renegotiating with the market-leading ticketing platform.
Who it's for: People who lead important one-to-one negotiations and want a repeatable way to prepare them.
What you'll be able to do
- Prepare a one-to-one negotiation with five steps: Facts, Power, Plan, Play, Learn
- Score your levers on cost, credibility and impact, and sort every issue into must-haves, trades and nice-to-haves
- Draw a game plan with an opening menu, a package ladder, a switch point and an escalation trigger
- Run the day with clear roles and scripts, and keep a lessons-learned record that outlives the team
Syllabus: 9 lessons
Facts and power
Module 1Why one-to-one negotiations fail
Most one-to-one negotiations that disappoint go wrong in one of four ways. The team didn't prepare enough. Levers were used badly: too early, too weakly, or not at all.
Get the facts straight
Start with a one-page fact sheet in four boxes. Current situation: the cost model, spend and scope, the contract (type, end date, price clauses) and ties to other business.
Carrots, sticks and trades
A carrot gives the other side something it values: preferred status, new business, a longer contract. A stick takes value away: exclusion from future business, a shorter contract.
Building the plan
Module 2Must-haves, trades and nice-to-haves
Sort every issue into three classes. A must-have is a show-stopper: without it, no deal. A trade is something you'll give up in exchange for something else.
Five questions that set your strategy
Every one-to-one strategy comes down to five questions. Make the first offer? Usually yes: put your stick in the ground. One offer or several?
Drawing the game plan
Drawing your plan as a tree forces 'what if?' thinking, gets your team agreed on concessions before you start, and makes deadlines and consequences clear. It's backward induction applied.
Storyline and scripts
Every negotiation needs a storyline in four parts. Focus points: what's changed and why it matters. Facts: the evidence. Requests: what you need.
Playing it out
Module 3Capstone: the ticketing-platform negotiation
You lead for Lumen Cinemas. The Ticketra fee is £40m a year and set to rise 5% a year. Target: a three-year freeze. Walk-away point: +5% a year with annual upfront payment.
Award day and lessons learned
Your team needs a negotiation lead, a decision maker (it can be the same person) and an expert.
Final assessment and certificate
Ten questions on fresh scenarios. Score 7 or more and your certificate is issued straight away.
Questions
How long does the course take?
About 2.1 hours: 9 lessons totalling 116 minutes, plus a 10-minute final assessment. It's self-paced, so you can stop after any lesson and pick up where you left off.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Pass the 10-question final assessment (7 out of 10) and you get a certificate of completion with your name and a verification ID. You can retake the assessment as often as you like.
How much does it cost?
£9.89, a one-off payment with lifetime access. Signing up is free, and the first lesson, "Why one-to-one negotiations fail", is free to play before you buy.
Do I need to know any maths?
No. Everything is explained in plain English with small, worked numbers. If you can compare two prices, you can do this course.
How is it taught?
Every lesson is interactive: you play a game, make a choice or move a slider first, then the idea behind it is explained. There are no videos to sit through.