In negotiation, silence can be a powerful tool, but can be quite uncomfortable and unnatural at first. Ask open questions and sit silently, listening deeply to the response.

In a machinery acquisition project it’s vital that each department does not lose sight of the bigger picture and instead pursues the “greater good” of the corporate goals rather than individual siloed objectives.

The end to end Procurement approach is quite different from the purchasing of day to day supplies that keep the business running, and requires a “big picture” mindset.

But there are other consequences of this practice, too, with potentially much larger risks.

In using a common language, Procurement can go about really understanding the needs of the business by asking great diagnostic questions, probing, challenging the thinking, sharing market insights and listening

There’s no need to be afraid of negotiation! It’s a skill that can be learnt by anyone, and it’s fun.

Here are Martin’s top 10 negotiation tips. What’s stopping you from trying them?

If you’re in Learning and Development or in Procurement, there are a whole host of Procurement training options available. What’s the best for you?

Then came the eye-watering quote and I was asked to sign an agreement there and then so we could proceed.

There’s an abundance of information out there so that anyone can make a success of negotiation.

The beauty and simplicity of demand management is that it is something that YOU can control.

Dealing with difficult people can feel uncomfortable as it runs counter to our basic “fight or flight” human-programming. In confrontational situations we can find it challenging to take control of and suppress our adrenalin to remain calm

It can be a frightening time for both sides of the buy/sell coin, but if inflation is going to stick around beyond the expiry of your contracts and further, the best thing to do is address the topic head-on

I’m often asked what’s the best training method, either face to face or virtual instructor-led? Both methods are effective, but each offers something slightly different, and each has its pros and cons.

Let’s be honest, Return On Investment for training can be the “elephant in the room”. After all, training expenditure is mostly discretionary, and sometimes the tangible benefits of training your teams is not always clear-cut.

Do you often send a detailed e-mail, clearly articulating (at least in your head) what you want the other person to do, only for it to be met with an incomplete or late response, or worse, total silence?

Tactical empathy goes deeper by, in addition, aiming to understand what lies behind the feelings expressed by the counterpart so that the negotiator can increase their influence throughout the process.

Why have we become so averse to picking up the phone and actually talking to someone?

Establishing rapport with a counterpart is the cornerstone of achieving a successful negotiation outcome, maintaining a constructive long-term business relationship and being able to persuade someone to your way of thinking.

How might this behaviour hinder our chances of a successful negotiation outcome?