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Description

Purchasing Negotiation: Framing the Brief, Leading the Meeting and Closing the Agreement

Enter every supplier meeting with quantified targets, identified levers and a clear fallback position

  • 1 day — 7 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

A buyer who negotiates without preparation is led by the salesperson's agenda: price increases are announced rather than anticipated, the discussion narrows to unit price, volumes or payment terms are conceded without anything in return, and the final agreement cannot be defended internally. Whatever gains were obtained then evaporate during execution.

This seven-hour programme structures the preparation phase — analysing the requirement, the supplier market and the balance of power — then the conduct of the meeting itself: opening, argumentation, handling objections and trading concessions against counterparts. Negotiation meetings are role-played and debriefed as a group.

Learning objectives

  • Analyse the requirement and the supplier market before opening a negotiation
  • Assess the balance of power and identify your room for manoeuvre
  • Set quantified targets, a walk-away limit and a fallback position
  • Lead the meeting and handle price objections
  • Trade every concession against a counterpart
  • Formalise the agreement and secure its application over time

What makes this programme different

Each participant prepares a live negotiation with a target grid and a walk-away limit
Meetings are role-played against a supplier announcing a price increase
A written record of agreement that can be held against the supplier is drafted by the end of the day

Programme

1Preparation and Balance of Power

Negotiations are won before the meeting

  • Break down the requirement and identify hidden costs
  • Analyse the supplier market and available alternatives
  • Assess mutual dependency between the two companies
  • Set a target, a limit and a fallback position for each negotiable point
  • Prepare the questions to ask at the opening

2Conducting the Meeting

Holding your ground against a trained salesperson

  • Open the meeting and set the agenda
  • Use questioning to reveal the supplier's margin room
  • Argue beyond price on lead times, quality and services
  • Handle objections and announced price increases
  • Recognise pressure tactics and respond to them

3Closing and Following Up the Agreement

Turning a verbal agreement into a commitment that holds

  • Trade final concessions against counterparts
  • Restate and lock in the points secured
  • Draft a written record sent to the supplier
  • Translate the agreement into the contract and order conditions
  • Monitor actual application and prepare the next negotiation

Who is it for

Buyers, supply planners, procurement managers and anyone required to negotiate with suppliers.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.