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Description

Professional Negotiation: Prepare, Argue and Close an Agreement

Defend your interests in a professional negotiation without damaging the working relationship

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Negotiating a deadline with a client, a budget with your management or a scope of work with a supplier: the exercise is a daily one and rarely prepared. You arrive with a figure in mind, you give way under time pressure or you hold your position until deadlock. Without a method, the agreement reached does not hold and the relationship carries the mark.

Two days to structure your preparation, distinguish stated positions from real interests, build your arguments and trade-offs, withstand pressure and close a workable agreement. Most of the time is devoted to simulated negotiations followed by structured debriefs.

Learning objectives

  • Prepare a negotiation by identifying your objectives and your room for manoeuvre
  • Distinguish stated positions from real interests
  • Build a trade-off for every concession considered
  • Respond to objections and attempts at pressure
  • Close and formalise a workable agreement

What makes this programme different

Four simulated negotiations based on participants' real situations
A preparation grid ready to use as soon as you return to your role
Systematic debrief from both the buyer's and the seller's side

Programme

1Preparing your negotiation

The work is done beforehand

  • Setting your objective, your walk-away point and your room for manoeuvre
  • Identifying your fallback option should talks fail
  • Gathering the information available on the other party
  • Anticipating their interests and constraints
  • Listing your arguments and the concessions you could make

2Opening and exploring

Understand before persuading

  • Setting the frame and the agenda
  • Questioning to bring interests to the surface
  • Listening and reformulating to check your understanding
  • Identifying negotiable points and sticking points
  • Avoiding announcing your figure too early

3Discussing and trading

No concession without a trade-off

  • Building arguments around the other party's interests
  • Handling an objection without becoming defensive
  • Formulating a conditional concession
  • Facing pressure and imposed deadlines
  • Managing deadlock and tension

4Closing and following up

An agreement that holds

  • Recognising signals of agreement
  • Locking in points secured as the discussion progresses
  • Formalising the agreement in writing
  • Preserving the relationship after a hard negotiation
  • Reviewing your negotiation in order to improve

Who is it for

This programme is intended for junior sales professionals and buyers as well as project managers and anyone required to negotiate as part of their role.

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.