When Less Is More: Streamlining Your Negotiation Team

“The more the merrier”

Valid. And most of the time, a great idea for dinners, cocktail parties and marathon training groups – but when it comes to negotiations I’m more likely to go with…

“Too many chefs spoil the soup!”

I’m a strong proponent of diversity in negotiation teams. A variety of opinions and backgrounds helps you ensure that all bases are covered, and engaging all key stakeholders in the process helps smooth implementation of a finished contract. But recently, I’ve seen a tendency for these negotiation teams to become rather beastly. Guess what – your company doesn’t need to have 12 people sitting around a conference table with your negotiation counterpart in order to achieve the best possible result. In fact, it will probably have a negative impact on both your process and your success. Why?

It slows you down

The coordination of large groups is a feat. Finding a meeting time that works for everyone is nearly impossible – especially when your organization spans time zones. And even if you can get everyone to accept the meeting invite, what are the chances you’ll start on time? I’d bet that you’ll spend the first 10 minutes of each meeting just tracking people down, having people settle in with their coffee/muffin/laptop and taking attendance. At this pace, it’s going to be hard to set your strategies and prepare the negotiation launch.

It dilutes and delays the results

While a larger team does help drive a diversity of background and expertise, it will also drive diversity in opinion and personality that can derail your negotiations. I’ve rarely seen a negotiation team of more than 4 people be able to communicate their organization’s goals and perspectives clearly during meetings with counterparts. Everyone wants to be heard, and if even one voice is off-message, it can prevent progress. Behind the scenes, delays getting language and concepts approved by such a large team can add up quickly. Spending 3 weeks getting a paragraph through multiple reviewers? Not efficient.

So, how do you benefit from the wealth of information and input that a larger negotiation team provides, without suffering from either the lag or the sub-optimal results that can come along with it?

A TWO-TIER NEGOTIATION TEAM

The Core:

These team members will be the ones who execute. They’re at the table with counterparts, leading the drafting of language and the crafting of commercial elements. Your core team should be no larger than 4: A strategic lead/spokesperson, and a specialist for each of language, commercial and legal. This will be the group of people with ownership of, and accountability for the negotiation and the results.

The Council:

This is your advisory powerhouse. The Council is the behind-the-scenes engine room of ideas, opinions and expertise that will help the core team in determining strategies and then executing on them effectively. Your council can have as many people as you’d like, and not everyone needs to be an ‘official’ member - don’t hesitate to seek out the right advisor for each question that arises, even if they’ll not be included in other aspects of the negotiation.

Establishing your Core, and then building up your Council allows for the efficiency and effectiveness of a small team, but the diversity and breadth of knowledge of a larger team. The best of both worlds for your business.

Do you prefer large or small negotiation teams? What have you learned by being in a Core team? A Council member?

Am I the only one who sees teams rapidly expanding and thinks “Don’t they know 9 ladies can’t make a baby in 1 month?” – just me?

~~~

Devon Smiley is a Negotiation Consultant & Speaker for entrepreneurs, startups and corporates. With 15 years of experience and over $5billion in deals closed, she helps clients around the world shake off ineffective negotiation techniques and habits and embrace a creative, collaborative approach to getting their best deals yet.

To learn more about how Devon can help you and your team build their negotiation skills, get in touch at [email protected] or here on LinkedIn.