Negotiation & Communication: Effective Techniques for Accountants Self-Study Webinar

To provide CPAs and other financial professionals with the communication and negotiation skills needed to enhance teamwork and productivity and influence decisions, both inside and outside the organization. You'll be equipped to resolve conflicts, maximize outcomes and arrive at mutually beneficial decisions with colleagues and clients. You'll also gain a clear understanding of the benefits to you and your company.

DETAILED LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Identify the context in which both formal and informal negotiation occurs

• Identify the primary characteristics of negotiation

• Identify the critical factors in all negotiations

• Recognize the types of powers held by the parties to a negotiation

• Recognize the ramifications of information in the negotiating process

• Recognize the most efficient pre-negotiation session steps to take

• Identify the recommended information to gather before a negotiation 

• Identify the information that should be readily shared in a negotiation 

• Identify the optimal approach to understanding the opposing party’s needs and interests 

• Recognize the optimal approach to phrasing questions during a negotiation

• Recognize the role of time as it reflects the negotiating party’s behavior

• Recognize the typical timing of the giving and receiving of concessions in a negotiation

• Recognize the implications of a negotiator’s personality type in negotiations

• Recognize the implications of contrasting personalities in a negotiation

• Identify the role of trust in negotiations

• Identify the role of personal confidence in negotiations

• Identify the goals of compromising in a “win-win” negotiation 

• Identify the behavior of an adversarial negotiator

• Identify the appropriate “style” of any given negotiation 

• Recognize the primary methods of persuasion

• Recognize the factors having the most influence in determining the appropriate negotiating style

• Recognize the characteristics of a skilled persuader 

• Recognize the motivations of a “hard bargainer”

• Identify the role of silence in a negotiation

• Identify the traits of an individual who employs the “scorched earth” method to negotiation 

• Identify the perspective of an individual who employs the reasoning and logic method of persuasion 

• Identify the perspective of an individual who uses power and intimidation to persuade 

• Identify the percentage of communication conveyed by appearance

• Identify the forms of appearance in the context of communication 

• Recognize methods to improve communication

• Recognize the role of open-ended questions in negotiations

• Recognize examples of open-ended and close-ended questions

• Recognize the elements of mutual gains negotiations 

• Identify the characteristics of a win-win negotiation strategy 

• Identify the basis for goals in a negotiation 

• Recognize a position vs. an interest

• Recognize the role of legitimacy in the context of negotiations 

• Identify the point at which a negotiator should not accept an agreement 

• Identify the role of options in negotiations

• Identify the characteristics of objectives entering into a negotiation 

• Recognize the different types of power in negotiations

• Recognize the ramifications of future relationships in a negotiation 

• Recognize the role of commitments in a negotiation

• Why communication and negotiation skills are critical
• Negotiations and communications—more than a zero sum game
• Developing a strategy, setting goals and gathering information
• Asking the right questions to get the information you need
• The importance of listening skills
• Communicating clearly and concisely to internal and external audiences
• Resolving conflict and promoting cooperation
• Making persuasive arguments
• The negotiation process
  – Stages of a negotiation
  – Using objective standards
  – Techniques for hard bargaining and recognizing “dirty tricks”
  – Deciding whether to accept an agreement or walk away
  – Constructing durable agreements