Critical Negotiation Skills for Buyers

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This webinar is designed for procurement professionals aiming to build or refine their negotiation expertise. Participants will receive a comprehensive overview of the negotiation process, moving beyond simple pricing discussions to understand the full spectrum of factors that influence successful outcomes. Through practical insights and proven techniques, this session will deepen your understanding of negotiation dynamics and help you develop the confidence to lead and close successful deals.

You will explore the characteristics of effective negotiators, various negotiation styles, and the psychological and strategic elements that can shift the direction of a conversation. Additionally, this session will focus on overcoming objections, particularly how to navigate and move past “No,” as well as how to identify and engage with different personality types in negotiation settings. With a focus on adaptability and strategic thinking, you will gain tools that can be applied immediately in your procurement role.

Your Benefits for Attending:
  • Understand the importance of negotiating beyond just pricing.
  • Learn the attributes and behaviors of successful negotiators.
  • Gain insights into the types of negotiations and their advantages and disadvantages.
  • Discover the critical success factors that drive positive outcomes.
  • Master strategies to move conversations forward when you hear “No.”
  • Apply proven negotiation tactics to real-world procurement scenarios.
  • Learn how to recognize personality types and adjust your negotiation style accordingly.

This webinar will empower you with the tools to negotiate more effectively and confidently, helping you drive better procurement results and build stronger supplier relationships.

Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Format: Live webcast
Instructional Method: Group: Internet-based
NASBA Field of Study: Management Services (2 hours)
Program Prerequisites: None
Advance Preparation: None

  1. Introduction
  2. Kevin Giblin - Biography 00:01:39
  3. Today’s Agenda 00:02:35
  4. Today’s Learning Objectives 00:04:51
  5. Why Negotiate 00:05:35
  6. Why Negotiate Continued 00:07:23
  7. Critical Negotiation Skills For Buyers - The Negotiation Process 00:09:10
  8. Attributes Of A Successful Negotiator 00:09:27
  9. Critical Negotiation Skills For Buyers - Establishing Win-Win Agreements 00:12:42
  10. Types Of Negotiation 00:12:56
  11. Price Negotiation 00:13:22
  12. Cost Negotiation 00:15:50
  13. One-On-One Negotiations 00:18:51
  14. Team Negotiations 00:21:44
  15. Team Building 00:24:11
  16. Seven Essentials For Top Teamwork 00:24:29
  17. Eight Enablers Of Effective Teamwork 00:27:23
  18. Critical Negotiation Skills For Buyers - Important Considerations 00:31:55
  19. Common Negotiating Mistakes 00:32:08
  20. Critical Success Factors 00:34:59
  21. Other Factors 00:39:11
  22. Agenda 00:40:38
  23. Discussion Flow 00:41:23
  24. Gathering Information 00:44:36
  25. Using Technology 00:46:24
  26. Getting Past “No” 00:48:42
  27. Steps In a Win-Win Strategy 00:48:59
  28. Separate The People From The Problem - What Should You Do? 00:49:25
  29. Separate The People From The Problem - What Should You Say? 00:51:00
  30. Use Objective Principles - What Should You Do? 00:51:48
  31. Use Objective Principles - What Should You Say? 00:52:37
  32. Getting Past “No” - BATNA 00:54:07
  33. Best Alternative To A Negotiated Agreement 00:55:01
  34. Recognize Barriers To Cooperation 00:55:45
  35. Use Power To Educate 00:56:15
  36. Build Them A Golden Bridge 00:56:55
  37. Reframe 00:57:19
  38. Step To Their Side 00:58:23
  39. Tactics 00:59:42
  40. Why Study Tactics? 00:59:49
  41. Use Of Tactics 01:00:30
  42. Tactics 01:01:36
  43. Reliance On Tactics Is Dangerous 01:02:56
  44. Strategy Before Tactics 01:03:51
  45. Countermeasures To Tactics 01:04:39
  46. Points To Consider 01:05:32
  47. Breaking Impasse 01:05:42
  48. Strategies For Closing A Gap 01:06:55
  49. Personalities In Negotiations 01:08:25
  50. Analytical: Characteristics 01:09:08
  51. Analytical Weaknesses 01:10:07
  52. Analytical Strategy And Approach 01:11:06
  53. Driver: Characteristics 01:11:50
  54. Driver Weaknesses 01:12:47
  55. Driver Strategy And Approach 01:13:50
  56. Amiable: Characteristics 01:14:44
  57. Amiable Weaknesses 01:15:28
  58. Amiable Strategy And Approach 01:16:20
  59. Expressive: Characteristics 01:17:25
  60. Expressive Weaknesses 01:18:18
  61. Expressive Strategy And Approach 01:19:39
  62. Who’s An Analytical Personality? 01:21:46
  63. Who’s A Driver Personality? 01:23:07
  64. Who’s An Amiable Personality 01:23:50
  65. Who’s An Expressive Personality 01:25:12
  66. Planning Your Negotiation 01:26:41
  67. Take Inventory Of Your Negotiation Strategy 01:26:41
  68. Plot All Negotiating Levers 01:27:09
  69. Share BATNA Strategy With Your Team 01:29:51
  70. Critical Negotiation Skills For Buyers  - Case Studies: Using Negotiation Tactics For Results 01:31:04
  71. The Evolution Of Negotiation’s Impact 01:31:30
  72. AI – Why we need each other 01:32:32
  73. Case Study: Contingent Staffing Value Analysis 01:34:42
  74. Value Proposition Of Long-Term Partnership 01:36:34
  75. Value Analysis 01:36:55
  76. Thank You 01:38:01
  77. Presentation Closing 01:39:44
  • Kevin Giblin

    Kevin Giblin

    Career Highlights: Ranked #23 in Thinkers360’s Global Top 50 Thought Leaders in Procurement 2017 EPIC Award for Career Excellence, Indirect Purchasing 2012 SDCE Green Supply Chain Award  2011 recipient IACCM “Collaborate to Innovate Award”  2009 CTB Achievement Award 2005 Corporate A [...]

    View Full Profile

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  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) 00:36:59, 00:46:45, 01:26:54, 01:32:38, 01:38:20
  • Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) 00:54:14, 00:55:04, 01:29:59
  • Buyer 00:00:06, 00:09:16, 01:38:31
  • ChatGPT 00:46:43
  • Contract 00:06:20, 00:22:52, 00:28:49, 00:37:23, 00:52:56, 01:01:12, 01:28:42, 01:36:48
  • Cost 00:07:05, 00:16:10, 00:34:09, 00:52:53, 01:28:13, 01:37:15
  • Key Performance Indicator (KPI) 00:06:32
  • Negotiation 00:02:11, 00:10:15, 00:19:05. 00:24:16, 00:36:42, 00:40:47 00:58:45, 01:03:46, 01:26:44, 01:31:35, 01:38:31
  • Procurement 00:01:52, 00:22:23, 00:47:03, 01:32:39
  • Profit 00:16:15, 01:36:41
  • Project Management 00:28:53
  • Request for Proposal (RFP) 00:16:23, 01:34:56
  • Service Level Agreements (SLA) 00:50:09 
  • Stakeholders 00:19:26
  • Supplier 00:06:18, 00:22:49, 00:28:50, 00:32:34, 00:36:30, 00:45:22, 00:51:21,  01:18:49, 01:24:57, 01:37:02
  • Total Cost 00:32:02, 01:37:29
  • Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) 00:16:31, 00:18:20

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Artificial intelligence is intelligence demonstrated by machines, as opposed to the natural intelligence displayed by humans or animals.

Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement (BATNA): Is the course of action that a party engaged in negotiations will take if talks fail, and no agreement can be reached.

Buyer: Someone whose job is to choose and buy the goods that a store will sell

ChatGPT: ChatGPT, which stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is a large language model-based chatbot developed by OpenAI and launched on November 30, 2022, notable for enabling users to refine and steer a conversation towards a desired length, format, style, level of detail, and language used.

Contract: A written or spoken agreement, especially one concerning employment, sales, or tenancy, that is intended to be enforceable by law.

Cost: The sum of the applicable expenditures and charges directly or indirectly incurred in bringing an article to its existing condition and location

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) : A Key Performance Indicator is a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives. Organizations use KPIs at multiple levels to evaluate their success at reaching targets.

Negotiation: The trading deliberations which generally lead to the lowering of prices by the vendors.

Procurement: Procurement is the process of finding and agreeing to terms, and acquiring goods, services, or works from an external source, often via a tendering or competitive bidding process. Procurement is used to ensure the buyer receives goods, services, or works at the best possible price when aspects such as quality, quantity, time, and location are compared.

Profit: A financial gain, especially the difference between the amount earned and the amount spent in buying, operating, or producing something.

Project Management: is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters.

Request for Proposal (RFP): A request for proposal (RFP) is a document that solicits proposal, often made through a bidding process, by an agency or company interested in procurement of a commodity, service, or valuable asset, to potential suppliers to submit business proposals.

Scope of Work (SOW): The Scope of Work (SOW) is the area in an agreement where the work to be performed is described. The SOW should contain any milestones, reports, deliverables, and end products that are expected to be provided by the performing party. The SOW should also contain a time line for all deliverables.

Service Level Agreements (SLA): A service level agreement (SLA) is a formal document that defines a working relationship between parties to a service contract.

Stakeholders: A stakeholder is a party that has an interest in a company and can either affect or be affected by the business. The primary stakeholders in a typical corporation are its investors, employees, customers and suppliers.

Supplier: A supplier is an entity that supplies goods and services to another organization. A supplier is usually a manufacturer or a distributor. A distributor buys goods from multiple manufacturers and sells them to its customers. Similar Terms. A supplier is also known as a vendor.

Total Cost: Total cost is the total expenditure incurred to produce some type of output. From an accounting perspective, the total cost concept is more applicable to financial reporting, where overhead costs must be assigned to certain assets.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) : Total cost of ownership is a financial estimate intended to help buyers and owners determine the direct and indirect costs of a product or system. It is a management accounting concept that can be used in full cost accounting or even ecological economics where it includes social costs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Effective procurement negotiation goes far beyond price haggling—it requires a sophisticated blend of preparation, interpersonal intelligence, and strategic thinking. The most critical skills include deep preparation: understanding your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) before entering any negotiation so you know exactly what walking away looks like. Attribute-based negotiation—trading concessions across multiple variables like payment terms, lead times, service levels, and warranties—creates far more value than price-only discussions. Active listening enables buyers to identify the supplier's true interests and constraints, revealing solutions that satisfy both parties. Recognizing personality types (Analytical, Driver, Amiable, Expressive) and adjusting your negotiation style accordingly dramatically improves outcomes. Getting past 'No'—using reframing, side-stepping, and education rather than pressure—moves stalled negotiations forward. Kevin Giblin, a globally ranked procurement thought leader, covers all of these skills through real-world case studies in his Aurora Training Advantage negotiation webinar, providing procurement professionals with a comprehensive toolkit for leading and closing successful deals.
BATNA—Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement—is the course of action a negotiating party will take if current talks fail and no agreement is reached. For procurement buyers, knowing your BATNA before entering a negotiation is one of the most powerful preparation steps available because it defines your walk-away point and fundamentally changes your posture at the table. A buyer with a strong BATNA (a credible alternative supplier, an internal solution, or a delayed purchase option) can negotiate from a position of genuine confidence rather than artificial pressure. Conversely, a buyer with a weak BATNA—only one viable supplier, an urgent timeline, or significant switching costs—must either improve that alternative or acknowledge the constraint and negotiate accordingly. Kevin Giblin covers BATNA strategy in depth in his Aurora Training Advantage negotiation skills webinar, including how to share BATNA strategy with your negotiating team and how to recognize when a supplier is playing to your weak BATNA. He also addresses how to 'build a golden bridge'—making it easy for a counterpart to move from their position toward agreement—which is particularly useful when your BATNA is strong but you want to preserve the long-term relationship.
Every negotiation counterpart has a dominant communication and decision-making style, and buyers who recognize and adapt to these styles achieve significantly better outcomes than those who apply a one-size-fits-all approach. Kevin Giblin introduces a four-personality framework in his Aurora Training Advantage negotiation webinar: Analytical personalities are detail-oriented, data-driven, and methodical—they respond to well-documented facts, logical arguments, and patience; pushing them for quick decisions increases resistance. Driver personalities are results-oriented and direct—they want to move efficiently, appreciate assertive counterparts, and respond poorly to excessive relationship-building. Amiable personalities prioritize relationships and harmony—they need to trust their counterpart personally before making commitments, and aggressive tactics destroy the rapport required to close. Expressive personalities are enthusiastic, visionary, and persuasion-responsive—appealing to the bigger picture and impact works better than granular detail. In practice, most counterparts blend characteristics, but recognizing the dominant style allows buyers to frame proposals, pace conversations, and choose tactics that align with how the other party processes information and makes decisions. This adaptive approach is one of the highest-leverage negotiation skills procurement professionals can develop.
Price negotiation and cost negotiation are fundamentally different approaches with very different value potential. Price negotiation focuses on the unit price a buyer pays—the number on the invoice—and is the most common and least sophisticated negotiation approach. It is a zero-sum dynamic: every dollar the buyer saves comes directly from the supplier's margin, which over time erodes supplier relationships and investment in service quality. Cost negotiation goes deeper, analyzing the total cost components that drive the supplier's pricing: labor, materials, overhead, logistics, and profit margin. By understanding cost structure, buyers can identify opportunities to reduce costs through collaboration rather than pressure—for example, consolidating purchase orders to reduce supplier handling costs, adjusting delivery schedules to optimize logistics, or modifying specifications to use more available materials. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis extends further still, incorporating the buyer's internal costs of quality, administration, inventory, and risk. Kevin Giblin emphasizes in his Aurora Training Advantage negotiation webinar that buyers who negotiate beyond price—engaging at the cost and TCO level—consistently achieve better outcomes, build stronger supplier relationships, and demonstrate greater strategic value to their organizations.
Even experienced buyers repeatedly fall into negotiation traps that limit their outcomes. Insufficient preparation is the most common: entering a negotiation without knowing your BATNA, the supplier's cost structure, their competitive alternatives, or your own priority ranking of deal variables leaves you reactive rather than strategic. Over-reliance on tactics—opening with aggressive anchors, using take-it-or-leave-it ultimatums, or playing good cop/bad cop—is another frequent error; Kevin Giblin explicitly addresses 'reliance on tactics is dangerous' in his Aurora Training Advantage negotiation webinar, emphasizing that strategy must precede tactics. Confusing position with interest—arguing over stated positions rather than exploring underlying needs—creates unnecessary impasse when creative solutions could satisfy both parties. Negotiating alone when team negotiation would provide strategic advantage (separate roles for relationship management and deal structuring) is a missed opportunity. Failing to confirm agreements in writing immediately after verbal agreement allows misunderstandings to resurface. Making unilateral concessions without receiving something in return trains the counterpart to keep asking. And neglecting relationship maintenance after a tough negotiation damages the long-term partnership that drives future value. Awareness of these patterns, combined with disciplined preparation, is the foundation of negotiation excellence.