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Description

Purchasing Negotiation: Preparing Your Mandate, Leading the Discussion and Closing

Negotiate with sales professionals trained to sell without being drawn into their script

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

Across the table, the salesperson has been trained: they know their margins, their arguments and the concessions they can give away painlessly. The buyer often arrives with a discount target and little else. The discussion then narrows into price haggling, where the only variable on the table is the one the seller had already prepared.

Two days to install a structured purchasing negotiation practice: building your mandate and your variables before the meeting, opening and leading the discussion, handling objections and pressure tactics, then closing and formalising the agreement. The programme covers the fundamentals and requires no prior negotiation experience.

Learning objectives

  • Prepare a negotiation by setting clear objectives and limits
  • Identify negotiable variables beyond price
  • Lead the discussion and retain control of the exchange
  • Handle objections and the seller's pressure tactics
  • Close and formalise the agreement reached

What makes this programme different

Every participant negotiates against a counterpart genuinely playing the seller's role
Simulated discussions are reviewed with the group sequence by sequence
A preparation sheet is built and then reused on an upcoming negotiation

Programme

1Preparing Before You Enter the Room

Mandate and room for manoeuvre

  • Set a target, a walk-away threshold and a fallback option
  • Identify negotiable variables other than price
  • Analyse the balance of power and mutual dependency
  • Gather relevant information on the supplier and its market

2Opening and Leading the Discussion

Taking the lead in the first few minutes

  • Set the framework and agenda for the meeting
  • Ask questions to uncover the seller's constraints
  • State a requirement and justify it
  • Manage silences and the pace of the discussion

3Arguing and Trading Concessions

Give nothing without something in return

  • Handle objections without becoming defensive
  • Respond to pressure and urgency tactics
  • Formulate a conditional concession
  • Rebuild an agreement when the discussion stalls

4Closing and Securing

From verbal agreement to written commitment

  • Recognise closing signals
  • Recap the agreement point by point before closing
  • Formalise in writing and obtain internal approval
  • Review your negotiation and prepare the next one

Who is it for

Buyers and supply planners new to the role, as well as internal requesters who need to negotiate terms with their 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.