1. 2018 Clayton Utz Negotiation Competition
Skills Workshop

2. Today’s Session Key Dates Negotiation strategy Common mistakes
Reading
Planning
Closing the deal
Common mistakes
General tips
Criteria
Today’s Session

3. Semester 1
Round 1 - Week 4: Monday 19 and Thursday 22 March. All teams to compete.
Round 2 - Week 6: Monday 9 and Thursday 12 April. All teams to compete, first elimination round.
Round 3 - Week 8: Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 April.
Round 4 - Week 10: Monday 7 and Thursday 10 May.
Semester 2
Quarter Finals - Week 2: Monday 30 July and Thursday 10 May.
Semi Finals - Week 5 Monday 20 August (TBC).
Grand Final - Week 9: (TBC).
Key Dates

4. Competition Structure
Schedule will be circulated on the Facebook group and via .
Any swaps must be arranged and communicated by to Competition Officers before the problem has been released.
The problem will be circulated at 1pm on the day prior to the competition (either Sunday or Wednesday).
On the day, report to the LSS office at least 10 minutes before your start time.
Competition Structure

5. Negotiation Strategy Reading the Problem Pick out each of the issues.
Look for key words that indicate how important an issue is to your client.
Note any specific figures.
Is there anything missing from your facts? Any hints about what your opponent might be after?
Negotiation Strategy

6. Negotiation Strategy Planning Work out your BATNA as a baseline.
Rank the issues
Look for any issues that as expressly linked together. Are there any trade offs your client would make?
Consider creating ‘packages’ – different negotiation outcomes that are more or less equivalent to your client. This will help you to clarify the issues and makes it easier to think on your feet during the negotiation.
Bring your notes to the negotiation table.
If there are a lot of figures involved in the negotiation you should bring a calculator.
Negotiation Strategy

7. Negotiation Strategy Closing the deal
Keep track of offers by taking notes throughout discussion.
Remember that you are not allowed to lie about any information in your facts.
Write down the agreement as soon as an issue has been agreed upon.
If you get down to the final few minutes and find yourself squabbling over minor figures it is generally better to give a little for the sake of coming to an agreement.
At the conclusion of the negotiation write out the terms of the agreement and have both teams sign.
Negotiation Strategy

8. Common Mistakes Time management Losing your cool Confusing strategies
Look at the number of issues in the problem and how difficult you think they will be to settle.
Teams should keep time.
Losing your cool
Confusing strategies
Too many issues lumped together in one conversation, difficult calculations, returning again and again to previously discussed issues.
If you are bringing in materials (e.g. Contract, agenda) you must bring enough copies for the other team and the judges in attendance. You will know in advance how many judges will be present.
Common Mistakes

9. Tips Be mindful of disrupting the flow of a discussion.
Taking charge at the beginning allows you to set the tone and frame the first issue.
Query any statements that the opposing team make that seem overly vague. If the information is not included in the instructions then they will tell you as much.
Any documents presented to the other team should be simple to read.
Do not be afraid of silence.
You can come up with creative solutions to meet your clients needs.
E.g. If your client has requested extra annual leave from their employer in order to spend more time with their family but the employer is not willing to budge, see if they are willing to let the employee work from home one day per week instead, even if this suggestion was not included in your original instructions.
Tips