Brush up on your negotiation skills through online training courses

The art of negotiation should not be overlooked for those looking to succeed in the business world. Being a good negotiator will help you become an effective problem-solver, resolve conflict, and strengthen your communication skills at the same time.

While being an effective negotiator is ideal for someone in business, it’s also a good skill to master on a personal level if you’re looking to climb up the career ladder.

Laura DeCarlo from Career Directors International, told Forbes, “It’s important to recognise that if you don’t negotiate for a living you likely aren’t aware of all the things you might negotiate, their dollar value and the opportunity for upping your salary.

“No one wants to excitedly take a job and realise they shorted themselves tens of thousands of dollars annually! So, be sure to find a resource, such as a well-rated book or coach, and learn and practice. ”

As DeCarlo said, negotiating well doesn’t come easy to everyone and it takes a lot of practice and training to work on your negotiation skills.

However, you can brush up on your negotiating skills with online training resources such as webinars, masterclasses, podcasts, and online courses where you can even become a certified negotiator.

Through these training sessions, you will develop key techniques and strategies for improving negotiation skills in your career.

Gene Russell from Manex Consulting told Forbes, “I highly recommend podcasts, books and even classes to stay on top of the latest negotiation and sales tactics available today.

“My team trains every Tuesday for an hour and then another hour one-on-one with a professional sales trainer who knows sales and negotiation techniques. We currently use Sandler Training, but there are many to recommend.”

Chriss Voss, a former BI international kidnapping negotiator, teaches an online Negotiation masterclass where you will learn techniques such as Mirroring and Labeling, through workbook and case study examples.

In his masterclass, Voss shares the strategies and tactics he developed through his experience negotiating with terrorists, bank robbers, and kidnappers. His class is not just meant for business professionals but for everyone, whether you’re aiming to improve your salary or the service that you receive on a daily basis.

He also carries out Mock Negotiations that show the power of verbal and non-verbal communication, where you will learn how to read body language and gain insights into human nature while working on your negotiation skills.

Another interesting resource to learning more about negotiation is Hostage at the Table, authored by George Kohlrieser, an international leadership professor, consultant, and veteran hostage negotiator.

In his book, Kohlrieser reveals proven techniques and psychological insights used in hostage negotiation and how they can be applied successfully to any personal or business relationship.

He also outlines the seven key factors that anyone can use to remove the blocks that stand in the way of resolving conflict, showing how business leaders can develop and access the skills they need to create trust and a positive mindset in their company.

Looking for ways to practice your negotiating skills? Coursera offers a Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills online course with plenty of experiments that allow you to learn by doing.

If you have a score above 80, you also earn a completion certificate for this course, with unlimited attempts to pass the exam.

There are also online courses offered in partnership with Ivy League universities such as Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator, a free online course by Yale.

According to the course description, “Unlike many negotiation courses, we develop a framework for analysing and shaping negotiations.

“This framework will allow you to make principled arguments that persuade others. It will allow you to see beneath the surface of apparent conflicts to uncover the underlying interests. You will leave the course better able to predict, interpret, and shape the behaviour of those you face in competitive situations.”

Browse through the plethora of online courses and resources to improve your negotiation skills in 2020 so that you learn how to get what you want and improve your communication skills – whether in business, personally, or professionally.