Negotiation Skills Training Course

Negotiation Skills Training Course

Location: Geelong

You know that moment when you're sitting across from someone in a meeting, and you can feel the tension rising? Maybe it's a salary discussion with your boss, or you're trying to get a vendor to lower their prices, or you're stuck in a deadlock with a colleague over project deadlines. Your heart's racing, your palms are sweaty, and you're thinking "I wish I knew how to handle this better." Well, you're not alone. Most of us weren't taught how to negotiate effectively, and we end up either avoiding these conversations altogether or stumbling through them with mixed results.

Here's the thing about negotiation - it's not about being aggressive or manipulative. It's actually a skill you can learn, just like any other workplace competency. Think about the last time you had to negotiate something at work. Did you walk away feeling like you left money on the table? Or maybe you got what you wanted but damaged the relationship in the process? These scenarios happen all the time because most people approach negotiation with either a win-lose mindset or they're so worried about conflict that they give in too quickly.

The reality is that negotiation skills are critical for your career advancement. Whether you're discussing your workload, securing resources for your team, or working out project details with stakeholders, you're negotiating constantly. The good news is that once you understand the fundamentals of effective negotiation, you'll start seeing opportunities everywhere to get better outcomes while maintaining positive relationships.

This isn't about becoming a shark in a suit. It's about learning how to have productive conversations where everyone walks away feeling respected and heard. You'll discover that the best negotiations actually strengthen relationships rather than damage them. When you know how to find win-win solutions and communicate your needs clearly, people start seeing you as someone who can solve problems rather than create them.

What You'll Learn

You'll master the preparation phase that most people skip entirely - how to research, set realistic goals, and identify your walk-away point before you even enter the room. We'll cover reading body language and verbal cues so you can understand what the other person really needs, not just what they're saying. You'll practice active listening techniques that make people feel heard while giving you valuable information to work with.

We'll dive into different negotiation styles and when to use each one. Sometimes you need to be collaborative, other times you need to be more assertive, and occasionally you need to know when to walk away completely. You'll learn how to handle difficult personalities - the people who interrupt, who make unreasonable demands, or who try to pressure you into quick decisions.

You'll also get hands-on practice with real workplace scenarios. We'll role-play everything from asking for a raise to resolving team conflicts to negotiating project timelines. By the end of the session, you'll have a toolkit of phrases, strategies, and techniques that you can use immediately back at work.

One of the biggest takeaways will be understanding how to separate the person from the problem. This single concept will transform how you approach conflict resolution in your workplace. When you can focus on finding solutions rather than proving who's right, everything changes.

The Bottom Line

Stop dreading those tough conversations and start seeing them as opportunities to get better outcomes for everyone involved. After this training, you'll walk into negotiations feeling confident and prepared instead of anxious and reactive. You'll know how to stand up for yourself without being aggressive, how to find creative solutions that work for everyone, and how to build stronger working relationships through better communication. Most importantly, you'll finally have the skills to get what you need at work while keeping your professional relationships intact.