Fundamentals of Negotiation, with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women

I have built confidence in negotiating as someone who aspires to be an expert in Mergers and Acquisitions. It is imperative to understand one's style of negotiating as well the counterpart's, this helps smoothen the negotiation process. I can choose any style i.e. challenger, relating, partnership, depending on the style of my counterpart.

My primary preparation is key such as establishing the real motivation of the counterparty entering the deal, understanding ones position and establishing an initial anchor, goal, expectation and bottom line. Furthermore, conducting peer comparison or analysis also helps in pre-empting possible bottlenecks as well as identifying areas of comparative advantage.

During the negotiation, effective listening is key. I aim to focus on the person not a problem I want to solve or emphasize negative things about them. This way, I can find more opportunities and creatively design a solution that will be beneficial to us both. Listening also helps me identify leverage points as well as ZOPA points. What I do not know is usually more useful that what I know. Listening affords me this priviledge. I aim to engage and participate, ask probing questions, clarify misunderstood statements.

When it comes to my approach, I will neither be defensive or too desperate. I will comport my self and aim for a win win situation, long standing relationship building and stay open minded in the event the deal is not good enough for me. I will nto get too carried away and reveal too much about my company such as areas that are still developing, I can pick use my BATNA to try stirke a win win situation. If it is still not going well and my bottom line has been hit, then I can leave the deal without cutting out relationship. Not all deals should be closed if it will not meet my expectations and future aspirations as well as my counterpart's. Who knows, maybe the next deal from the same person will be the right one!

Thanks for the course, i learnt a lot.

Honestly taking this course has been one of the best decisions I have made for my business development.
It has challenged everything I felt I new about running a business in a very positive way and has also brought to light, so much that I didn't even know or consider.
I always thought I wanted to remain a small "manageable" business but this course has equipped me with the skills and courage to think bigger. It has made me realise what is possible and I have found a new "can do" spirit .
My favourite part is module 2- fundamentals of business finance.
I would highly recommend this course to any women in business or planning to start a business.
It has been broken down in simple, easy to understand steps with a lot of illustrations and videos, catering to different learning styles.
The simplicity is it for me.

I did not realize how important effective negotiation skills is until I went through the 10,000 women course of Fundamentals of negotiation with Goldman Sachs!

Negotiation is all around us in business and everyday life. Personally ,negotiation begins with yourself. You negotiate with yourself if you want to grow your business or not, you weigh all the pros and cons and come to a target outcome that will inform your decision.

In business, negotiation begins as early as what exactly to venture into, how to venture into it, business alternatives, sources of funds, values and culture you want to set for the company, the type of hires, expected customer reviews etc...negotiation is all around us.

Ultimately, great negotiation skills come with preparedness such as research to have objective data to negotiate with ,this in turn gives you the confidence to walk into a negotiation.

This course coupled with the Fundamentals of funding has given me the confidence to negotiate for funding for my business.

Thank you!

"I recently completed this course, and I found it to be highly informative and practical for improving my negotiation skills. The content is well-organized and easy to follow, with a nice balance between theory and real-world application. The instructors did an excellent job breaking down complex negotiation concepts and providing actionable strategies that I can apply in various business scenarios.

One of the standout features of the course was the practical examples and case studies, which made the lessons feel very relevant and engaging. I especially appreciated the sections on preparing for negotiations, understanding the Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA), and leveraging research to support your position — all of which I believe will be invaluable in my professional career.

The interactive elements, such as quizzes and discussion prompts, helped reinforce key concepts and allowed me to assess my progress. While the course material was excellent, I would have liked a bit more focus on advanced negotiation tactics, but overall, this course met my expectations.

I would definitely recommend this course to anyone looking to sharpen their negotiation skills, whether you're a beginner or have some experience already."

I loved this course. I've understood my current negotiating style and got to understand why previously I always seemed to get the short end of the stick during negotiations, usually leaving me feeling a little frustrated.

The course has helped me understand how to prepare better and the need for research in order to enter the negotiation with a clearer understanding of the market. I have learnt how to structure my offer based on the results of my research in order to achieve a good outcome. It has also helped me identify my weaknesses and strengths. From this I now understand how to approach negotiations utilizing what previously were drawbacks and turn them into strengths at the negotiating table.

I believe everyone, whether a business professional or an entrepreneur, should take this course.