Istrategize Training: Advanced Negotiation WorkshopThe advanced negotiation workshop held at Monterrey City in Mexico far supersedes any training program regarding advanced negotiation that anyone would attend. The experience was thrilling and one of a kind. The workshop was courtesy of istrategize Company, and the guest speaker was none other than Teodoro Ernesto Lavin Sodi better known as Dr. Lavin. The istrategize training had a lot to deliver to the delighted audience that had to learn from the expert (Dr. Lavin). This was not the only good thing about the workshop, the services by istrategize were unparalleled to any other such workshop, and the food was tasty. Everyone was excited about how istrategize planned everything as everything was in order. Dr. Teodoro Lavin Sodi also seemed well prepared to take the crowd through a fantastic training program, one they would live to remember.The objectives or aims of the advanced negotiation workshop were to teach those in attendance among others the following key elements:• Understanding how the behavioral style drives negotiator tendencies• How to build and deliver an effective proposal at first• How to pace a negotiation for better results• How to fully evaluate a negotiation to prepare well for future deals• Focusing on six main issues that underlie a complicated negotiation• Asking better questions so as to clarify and learn implications of a negotiation• Analysis of how performance can be measured by parties interested in the outcome of a negotiationDr. Teodoro Lavin Sodi is such an incredible orator. He started off by thanking the audience for attending the workshop and guaranteed that the negotiation skills they were going to learn would change their lives eternally. He then elaborated that the workshop would help seasoned negotiators to think more clearly through all issues influencing a negotiation. It would also help the participants to learn to ask the right questions and to understand the real drivers and implications of every deal. Besides, the advanced training would help participants to create and add value to negotiations by thinking creatively.According to Dr. Lavin, it’s very critical for learners to know how to identify both potential pitfalls and possible pitfalls resulting from the first proposal and how to create counter-proposals in a negotiation. It is also important for them to use inquiry in building a list of possible low-cost concessions. Seizing opportunities and countering threats is obviously a recipe for success in any setting. He then challenged the audience to identify the five categories of tactics and what kind of tactic a particular negotiator is most likely to use. After recognizing this, it is important to know how to neutralize these tactics. Dr. Teodoro Lavin Sodi also mentioned that implementing a negotiation evaluation process is critical so as to learn from each phase of a negotiation and correct the course of future negotiations. He said that learning is extensively gained through case studies in the real world and expansive role-play that utilizes complex multi-party scenarios. More importantly, he took much time explaining how one can utilize the 5 phases of a successful negotiation; Preparation, opening, exploration, problem solving and conclusion. Preparation includes the following critical steps:• Identifying the underlying interests and issues• Gathering information• Assessing parties BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)• The development of strategies, goals, and tacticsOpening involves:• Making the initial contact• Development of a common agenda• Determining priorities• Identifying common interests or goals• Managing expectationsExploration involves:• Weighing interests vs. positions• Generation of creative solutionsBargaining or problem solving involves:• Presenting offers• Making concessions• Approaching solutions• Summarizing progressConclusion involves:• Ensuring a mutual understanding• Reaching a mutually satisfactory agreement that is binding.The five phases provide a systematic manner to approach any negotiation while providing a robust framework that will ensure that parties reach mutually acceptable agreements. Parties that follow through all the five phases are most likely guaranteed to arrive at a win-win agreement in which case the parties leave a negotiation while satisfied.Dr. Lavin also urged his audience to assess their current negotiation skills or proficiency through benchmarking. This would help them create and also integrate new options to build more values for all parties in a negotiation. They would also learn to create concessions and trade them with multiple priorities and values. Gauging how parties in a negotiation will measure performance is also an issue that participants should focus on. The audience was however reminded to always create and claim a significant portion of the value for themselves. Dr. Teodoro Lavin Sodi finished up his talk by thanking the audience once again, this time addressing their attentiveness and participation in the workshop.To sum up everything, the training program was incredible, and there wasn’t a single thing that went wrong. There was much fun and more to learn at Monterrey city as everyone enjoyed their time. Istrategize is such a lucky company to have had a trainer like Teodoro Ernesto Lavin Sodi because he is a deity. He is charismatic and charming, and this was evident by his attentive and active audience. Everyone enjoyed listening to him as they participated time and again from the start to the finish. Any next training program by Dr. Lavin and istrategize is a must see.