Negotiation and Conflict Management

Do your students find negotiation courses and workshops anxiety-inducing? Often, students feel embarrassed and awkward, stressed out and self-conscious during negotiation skills roleplay in the classroom. And when you're stressed you don't learn.

Bodyswaps provides a safe space where students can practice negotiation skills with virtual humans, with much more privacy, in a repeatable simulation which combines theory and practice in a three-part 75-minute module series.

• Learn from mistakes - realistic, immersive scenarios that provide an authentic experience in a psychologically safe learning environment where students can make mistakes and learn from them without fear of judgement.
• Bridging the gap - a comprehensive, holistic learning experience that weaves theoretical knowledge and practical exercises.
• Beyond the classroom - designed to boost the self-confidence students need to apply negotiation skills outside of the classroom - mastering a skill is not just knowing and understanding it, but feeling confident enough to use it.
• On-campus and off - being multi-platform, your students can access the modules from PCs and mobile devices, as well as in VR, allowing you to decide when and where is best for them to learn.

Negotiation is a key part of professional and everyday life, and it is a crucial component of the curriculum in a variety of courses, such as Business & Management, Healthcare, Education, Law, and many more.

In this new three-part 75-minute Bodyswaps series, created in collaboration with Sage, learners will discover the three key characteristics of a successful negotiator - establishing relationships, understanding and using different skills, and employing effective strategies to get the most out of your negotiations.

This series has been developed with the expert guidance of Sage author Dr. Kevin W. Rockmann, Professor of Management at George Mason School of Business and co-author of Negotiation: Moving from Conflict to Agreement.

Stay informed about our upcoming series. Join our mailing list to receive exclusive launch updates by filling in the form below.

In this module, learners will enhance their negotiation prowess by first reflecting on where they currently are as negotiators through virtual coaching, then developing an understanding of how to build positive relationships with counterparts, including the art of developing strong rapport and trust, and paving the path for favourable and successful outcomes when negotiation takes place.

Module Objectives:

• Self-reflect on negotiations: Engage in an introspective analysis of your negotiation strategies and approaches.
• Master effective small talk: Develop proficiency in initiating and sustaining meaningful small talk to establish a positive negotiation opportunity.
• Cultivate rapport and trust: Learn techniques to build rapport and foster trust, while effectively managing the impression you project.
• Employ active listening: Utilise active listening skills to gain deeper insights into the perspectives of others and enhance overall understanding in negotiations.

Learners will explore the transformative impact of emotion management and learn the skills centred around understanding the interests of the other party - rather than advocating solely for their own viewpoint - in successful negotiations. Participants will learn how to uncover concealed value that holds the potential to mutually benefit all stakeholders involved.

Module Objectives: 

• Develop an insightful understanding of the interrelation between emotions and negotiation approaches
• Skillfully identify and apply behaviours associated with a ‘collaborative and understanding’ approach as opposed to a 'convincing’ or ‘combative’ negotiation approach
• Investigate strategies to uncover and expand opportunities, enhancing overall outcomes

In the final module, learners will unlock the art of extracting additional negotiation value from a position of lesser power, for example, understanding and using different sources of influence such as a BATNAs and discovering tangible and intangible interests, and how to add more issues to a negotiation context.

Module Objectives: 

• Understand the sources of influence in negotiations
• Use self-coaching to boost your confidence in gaining influence
• Discover tangible and intangible interests
• Adding issues and gaining more value in negotiations