Negotiation training for buyers

An identified savings opportunity alone does not guarantee cost reduction. To realize defined potentials, buyers usually need the competence to conduct negotiations with suppliers professionally.

In our modules for negotiation training, buyers learn how to prepare negotiations professionally select and apply negotiation roles and tactics consciously and correctly, counter the strategies of the sellers and how negotiation results subsequently serve the decision-making process. All training materials are prepared ready-to-use in thedaily practice of the participants.

In our seminars, participants are given the opportunity to develop existing expertise and knowledge further. This gives them the impetus to make lasting changes in their behaviour and to achieve measurable improvements in procurement practice.

Focus Hard Skills & Soft Skills

In our highly interactive negotiation training, we focus on two core areas: Professional and methodological competence (hard skills) on the one hand, and behavioral patterns and personality profiles (soft skills) on the other.

Among others, we work with the following methods:

Harvard-Negotiation Approach

The Harvard concept is strictly oriented towards the factual level and aims to create a win-win situation for the negotiating partners. The emotionalization of the negotiations is avoided by creating a fundamental understanding of the position of the opposite party through mutual disclosure of expectations and factual orientation. There is neither room for tricks or bamboozle nor for giving way in contrary to own interests.

BATNA-Analysis

The BATNA analysis (“Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement”) is used to prepare negotiations to develop realistic positions and determine alternative options. This is where the supplier market and benchmark researches help.

ZOPA analysis

In the ZOPA analysis, a clearly defined negotiating framework is established (“Zone of Possible Agreement”). Here, each negotiating party sets a result framework within which a mutual conclusion is acceptable in advance. The negotiating parties can only come to an agreement if there is an overlap.

Interactive role-plays & case studies

Competence in methods is the basis for successful negotiations. To achieve outstanding results, however, buyers also need soft skills. Here we work with interactive role-plays and case studies from our project experience to train

Assignment of roles to negotiation participants
Body language and what it conveys
Analysis of personality profiles and alignment of communication based on these
Remote negotiations: Telephone and video negotiations

Reference example: Sustainable savings through negotiation training in a pharmaceutical company

The procurement department of a medium-sized pharmaceutical company consisted of eight employees working in two teams. One team was responsible for technical procurement, the other team was specifically responsible for marketing procurement. INVERTO was commissioned to train the employees. The goal was to improve the performance of the procurement department and to realize sustainable savings. To meet the different requirements, both teams received individual training.

The marketing team received specially tailored negotiation training. The marketing purchasers thus learned how to negotiate in a structured manner not only with suppliers of print products but also with service providers such as promotion agencies. A partnership-based but goal-oriented negotiation strategy was developed, which also brought the desired savings in the long term.

The group leader of the technical procurement department received special coaching. He underwent a training course lasting several weeks in which, in addition to specialist knowledge on the handling of investment projects, the focus was on the topics of personnel management and negotiations with service providers such as architects. The coaching enabled the group leader to deploy his team more efficiently. The specialist knowledge acquired also enabled the team to talk to the service providers on an equal footing and thus achieve better results.

All training modules can be held as face-to-face or remote seminars.

Please contact us for further information:

What our clients say about us

Maryne Lemvik, CEO Skanem AS

„In an interactive sales training with a high degree of practical relevance, our sales staff learned how to approach negotiations like buyers. This change of perspective has decisively changed our sales negotiations. Thanks to INVERTO, our employees now feel better prepared and can draw on professional methods and tactics to achieve better negotiation results - a decisive step in the further development of our sales.“

Ole Anton Gulsvik, CEO, Seven Seas

„INVERTO conducted a detailed analysis of our international processes, and by introducing a new strategic approach for our procurement, it achieved substantial efficiency gains.“

Patrick Juhl, Head of Procurement, Seven Seas

„As a result of the central procurement organization implemented by INVERTO, as well as the pooling of demands, we were able to make double-digit percentage savings.“

Thomas Pfeiffer, Head of Product Development at willhaben.at

„Together with INVERTO, we have achieved a result that we did not think possible at the beginning of the project. The overall package of tender preparation, service provider workshops and rounds of negotiations at top management level has raised our hosting landscape to a new level of price performance. I thoroughly recommend working with INVERTO.“

Dr. Jürgen Wickl, Managing Director of Styria Media IT

„By preparing a functional specification, we managed to advertise requirements in a tailored way. INVERTO’s orientation towards precise customer requirements and benchmarks as well as professional negotiations has contributed significantly to the success of this project. The close involvement of employees in this structured tender process is an additional bonus, and something which will benefit us in years to come.“

Siniša Mitrović, mag.oec., Managing director, Styria Tiskara Zagreb

„Due to the flexibility of the team, we managed to receive additional offers from suppliers and hence increase competition between existing suppliers. Through centralization of our former pick-up locations in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina we managed to reduce the operational work for our employees. Furthermore, this centralization led to a huge additional revenue from our waste paper business. The project work with INVERTO was very professional and made this great result possible.“

Marc Lamure, Director, Montagu Private Equity Associates LLP

„INVERTO has helped D.O.R.C. with the professionalization of the procurement organization and accompanied the supplier negotiations for various products and services. By implementing new processes and working with procurement staff, the achieved savings enhance sustainability and will result in a more profitable organization.“

Erwan Quemener, Purchasing Director, Chassis Brakes International

„INVERTO helped us in raising undreamed-of sources of savings in both direct material and indirect material areas. They did not only identify these potentials but they supported us in the implementation phase with a great professionalism.“

Nick Gerrard, CFO, MID Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust

„INVERTO’s market and product knowledge have been invaluable in helping the Trust deliver substantial cost savings in a short space of time. They have the ability to talk the clinicians language, optimise the procurement process and deliver a result the trust could not have achieved itself.“

Bart Stubbe, Vice President of Purchasing LINPAC Group

„INVERTO are assisting LINPAC since early 2008 in transitioning from a decentralised to a category purchasing structure, bringing sourcing expertise, skilled resources, technology and methodology to recognise, create and release value to the company.“

Phone

+49 221 485 687 0

Search

Choose language