How to Win Digital Negotiations (Phone, Email, Video Conference)

Hey, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Negotiate Anything podcast. As always, I am your host, Kwame Christian. I'm a business lawyer, mediator, professor, and the director of the American Negotiation Institute. And for this episode, I am joined by our chief operating officer here at the American Negotiation Institute, Katherine Knappke. And so for those of you who don't know. Katherine. Katherine, can you introduce yourself briefly?

Yeah. Hi, everybody. Like Kwame said, Katherine Knacki, I am the chief operating officer here at the American Negotiation Institute and I keep things running. So I do the operations side of things and am behind the scenes managing everything.

And of course, you are the host of the fantastic podcast Ask With Confidence, all about women in negotiations and difficult conversations. So if you haven't yet, make sure you check out that show. And the purpose of this episode is to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the training that we have coming up on Thursday. Our goal for you is that after going through this two hour training, you'll be able to avoid making deal killing mistakes when negotiating online. You'll be able to build a robust and cohesive negotiation strategy that positions you to get the best deal possible without damaging the relationship. You'll be able to utilize technology strategically to complement your unique negotiation style and personality. You'll be able to understand which online tools are available to you and how and when to use these tools for maximum success. And lastly, you will learn how to manage emotions during negotiations that occur online. And with that, I'm talking about your emotions and theirs. It's important to recognize that negotiating online is a distinct skill. And the majority of negotiation trainings don't incorporate online negotiations. They just focus on in person negotiations and strategies for those types of conversations. And so we want to make sure that you are equipped with the right skills to be successful now that the game has changed. And so a lot of people have been reaching out, interested in the program and they had some questions. And so what we're doing here is we're taking the most frequently asked questions about this training and we're answering them here. And so that's why I made sure to bring Catherine, because Katherine is the, is the person who plays devil's advocate in the business when it comes to the things that we decide to do. And so she is going to essentially be advocating for you in this, asking the questions what, why we should do this, asking questions about the structure of the program and things like that. So with that, let's just get it started. Katherine, I'll hand it over to you and I'LL answer the questions you have.

You call it the devil's advocate, I call it the voice of reason. Kwame has tons of ideas. And so part of my role is making sure that we implement those ideas and that they work. So the first question we get all the time is, I downloaded the free online negotiation and conflict resolution handbook you guys created from the summit. Why do I need this training? The handbook is over 30 pages long.

Yeah, that's a great question. That's a great question. And first of all, I wanted to give you a shout out here because you wrote the handbook. And so kudos and thank you for that. And of course, our intern Maria also assisted in the creation of that. So thank you for the ANI team for putting that together. Yeah, so the, the handbook is really robust. And so for those of you who don't know, if you go to americannegotiationinstitute.com virtual, you'll be able to download this massive 30 page handbook that is the culmination of the negotiation summit we had a couple of months ago. And so we had 600 professionals from all over the world come together and share their best ideas. And that was really the catalyst for this training. And so those ideas are captured in the handbook. And so, of course, like you said, Catherine, people are asking, well, if I get the handbook, why do I need the training? And so for those of you who are fans of the show, you know I love a good chess analogy. And so this is the way I would think about it. The handbook will teach you how the pieces move, but the negotiation training on Thursday is going to teach you how to win the game. And so if you think about the difference between a novice chess player and a grandmaster, it's the strategy. The novice knows how to move the pieces, but the chess grandmaster knows how to implement a winning strategy to win the game. And that's why the chess Grandmaster is going to win that, that chess match every single time. And so our goal here with this training is to turn you into that grand master for online negotiations, digital negotiations, because when it comes down to it, we're all having these conversations digitally. So I want you to be equipped. And the handbook is a great tool for what I call improving your negotiation hygiene. It will certainly help to improve your game, and I think one of its best attributes is that it'll help you to avoid making some significant mistakes, but it doesn't give you strategy. And that's what the training on Thursday will do.

First, thank you for the credit. I did work hard on that And I don't think you have to even understand chess or be a chess player in order to understand the analogy of realizing that strategy wise, this could really help you in successful negotiations.

Yeah, definitely. And the goal is to just elevate your game. That's really it. And I'm really excited about the training. And in addition to the talking about strategies, we're also going to give you an opportunity to engage in a role play scenario. So you can actually negotiate via video conference with somebody live and flex your negotiation muscles there too. Because I think it's important to get the opportunity to practice in safe spaces so you can try new things and try these new strategies. Strategies and see how it works for you.

Awesome. So, I mean, that was one thing that sets it apart from similar online trainings. What kind of bonuses are available?

Yeah, so when it comes to the bonuses, we have to say to ourselves, well, we give a lot away for free. What else can we add? And so that's why we wanted to increase the value of the offering by not only adding the role playing scenario, because you don't really get that opportunity very often, especially as it relates to online negotiations. So we wanted to introduce the role playing scenario. And then also you're going to get an exclusive guide that you can only get by registering for the training. And so this guide will help you to create your personalized negotiation strategy for digital negotiations. Because the coolest thing for me about negotiation strategy in general, and especially as it relates to online negotiations, is that what works for me might not work for you. And so you have to understand that these are all tools in your toolbox. And given the situation and the circumstances, who's on the other side and who you are personally with your skill set and your personality, it'll change the way that you approach it. So this guide will help you to create that personalized strategy so you can implement the right tools at the right time.

Those are awesome bonuses. You also forgot to mention one really important extra, the Q and A. Do you want to talk about that?

Of course, yeah. So the Q and A. The thing is, if you've ever done a training with me, you know, I get really excited about sharing this information. And two hours is great. Of course we can get you some great information there. We give you the opportunity to do the role play, but I want to stay after and give you a Q and A. And so for people who have the time, I will stay after and answer all the questions that you have. So for about 30, 45 minutes after the the presentation, you can almost treat this as a. A group coaching session, too. Hey, Kwame, I was in this scenario. What would you have done in that situation? Great. And so, again, this gives you the opportunity to customize your strategies based on the situations that you have. And so that's. Honestly, Katherine, I think that's the part that I'm the most excited about. I'm excited to share the information, but the. The opportunity to really dig deeply into the difficulties that people are having and helping them to recognize those opportunities. I think that's going to be really cool. So, yeah, the Q and a for about 30 to 45 minutes for those who can stay, that's going to be a massive value add. And if you have to leave early, we will record it for you and give you access to that as well. So you would have access. Temporary access, of course, but you'll have access to the recording if you have to leave early.

Q and A's are always fun. I learn a lot from them because, you know, I sit through all the trainings, but I also get to learn from the questions that individuals ask and listen and learn from the things that we didn't think of to teach during the session. But also, you know, if you can't stay for the Q and A, there are times throughout the presentation and the training to ask questions as well. So there will be plenty of time to get questions answered. Can you tell the audience about the packages and the discounts that come, opportunities that come with the program?

Before I tell the price, I want you to know that the training on Thursday is incredibly valuable, and it is worth the cost. And so the training is $3,000.

Kwame, wait. I think you just gave the audience a heart attack. Guys, he's choking. It is not 3,000. Kwame, try that again.

Okay. All right, all right, all right. So the cost of the training on Thursday is $197. Okay. I think that's a little bit more reasonable for two hours of your time. And so then you have an opportunity to get a package deal with getting the training on Thursday, but also getting instant access to our online course. And if you want that package, it's $497. What's interesting is the majority of people who have purchased the course have chosen that option because the value is so clear. And so let me tell you a bit about that course, too. And so when you consider the TED Talk, which was the most viewed TED Talk on the topic of Conflict for 2017, the book, which was an Amazon bestseller, and the podcast, which is the top Ranked negotiation podcast in the world. When you think about all of those pieces of content that we've created, this course is by far the piece of content that I'm most proud of because we put so much into it. And you know, Catherine, when we were trying to create it, it took two or three times longer because we kept on adding things. Because as we were doing trainings, every time we do trainings for our Fortune 500 companies, our clients that are small to medium sized businesses, and the government agencies that we work for, whenever we do those trainings, we would survey the audience beforehand. We want to see what things are very important to them. And we, a few years ago, we also surveyed all of you to see what was important to you. And so we've kept all of that data, hundreds of responses, and the questions and concerns that people have. We turned this course into a direct response to those concerns. It not only shows you how to get the best deal by utilizing the most powerful persuasive strategies and tactics that you can use in a negotiation. It doesn't only show you how to frame a conversation, but it also shows you how to become more confident in your skills. Because a lot of times it seems as though we're giving recipes to people who are afraid to get in the kitchen. It doesn't matter if you know what to do or say. If you are too afraid to do, do it or say it. And so the whole first module, the whole first section of that course is all about winning the internal negotiation with yourself. And then we go deep into how to be successful in the external negotiations. And then, if you like, our sparring sessions, we created a series of sparring sessions between me and Katherine where we highlight the skills that we taught you throughout the course. So I'm really excited about that package option.

Yeah, makes a lot of sense. And for the listeners, just summary the package options, one package, the training only costs 197. Or there's the option to get instant access to our online course plus the training. And that costs $497.

Yep.

So hypothetically, if the training and course deliver on their promises, how does that make somebody's life change?

Yeah, and I'm glad you said life, because with everything that we do here at the American Negotiation Institute, we want it to be broadly applicable. Of course, the majority of people who are coming in to do these trainings are going to focus on the business side. But I also always want to make sure that you are able to take out the principles that we teach for the business purpose. And also Apply it to improve the value of your life. Because again, our motto here at the American Negotiation Institute is that the best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations. And so we feel that it is our mission with everything we do to empower you with the skills and confidence you need so you can start living the best versions of your life. And so your life includes work and home. Okay, so that's the first thing. But let's focus first on the business side. So if you're getting better deals, that means more money in your pocket. So if you work for a company, improved negotiation outcomes will lead to better career outcomes. It'll put you on the fast track for advancement if you're able to improve the success rate that you have in these deals. And you'll also feel better in the process. Confidence not only leads to better outcomes, it also leads to better emotional and mental well being. So think about the times where you've been forced to do something where you were lacking confidence, you felt exposed, you felt insecure, the seeds of doubt led to more fear. And it's a negative feedback loop throughout the process. And we can't overlook the mental and emotional aspects of these conversations. So with the course, not only are you going to get better deals, which leads to more career opportunities, not only will you feel better about yourself before, during, and after the process, but you will also be able to use the skills to improve the relationships around you, both personal and professional. So I guess the best way to say it is that this course helps you to negotiate your way to a better life. And that includes business and personal.

And Kwame is being modest. Last week we did a training and somebody actually negotiated a better deal during the training. So it does work.

Yeah, that was incredibly satisfying. I got a message and the person hopped on the webinar and their prospect called them during the webinar and she used something that she learned in the webinar to get a better deal. That was really cool.

So what's next? How can people get started?

So if you click the link in the description, it'll take you straight to the page where you can purchase the course and the training. And something that's important to recognize is that the deadline is coming up. I think that's really important. The deadline is coming up Wednesday, 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time. And we need to have that hard cut off because we need to organize who is going to be going against. Sorry, Catherine needs to organize who is going to be matched up against who in these sparring sessions. So very excited about that. But yeah, we need to have a hard stop at 5pm Eastern on on Wednesday to make sure that we can be organized to deliver on all of our promises on Thursday.

And as much as we try to do the public workshops, we don't always get time to do them. So we don't know when the next one will be. And this is a very unique opportunity. So I highly recommend joining if you can. The link will be in the description below. If you can't find it or can't access it, just go to our homepage. There is a button that will take you directly to the training and you can purchase it from there.

Listen, the real reason we don't do very many public workshops is because we don't like having to abuse you via email for a few weeks. You don't know how awkward it is for me to send so many emails. That's why we don't push anything too hard too often. But listen, the thing is, if you know, if you're getting a ton of emails from us on a specific thing, that means we really believe in it and we truly believe that it'll help you because we don't send very many emails in general. My business friends always tell me to send more, but I'm like, no, I don't want to annoy people. So thank you with your patience on that and hopefully I see you in the training on Thursday and hope you all have a great week.