As the summer heats up, don’t let your sales and procurement negotiation training melt away. Now is the perfect time to sharpen your skills with some insightful summer reads.
At RED BEAR, we curated a list of our top 10 resources from 2024 so far to round out your summer reading list. Below, you’ll find a wealth of actionable insights and strategies to leverage tension, create opportunities, avoid common sales and procurement pitfalls, and more.
Whether you're a seasoned sales or procurement professional or just starting out, this summer reading list will expand your toolkit for 2024 and beyond.
1. 2024 State of Negotiation Trends: Insights on the Year Ahead
First on our list is our highly anticipated 2024 State of Negotiation Trends Ebook.
In this read, we broke down key negotiation trends predicted to shape this year.
A few highlights:
- The impact of rising inflation
- How reduced negotiation time ratchets up the pressure on sales teams
- Top mistakes to watch out for
- And more…
Read the write-up on our blog for more details. Then download the ebook and load it up on your favorite e-reader.
2. RED BEAR Negotiation's Top 4 Takeaways from ISM World 2024
Back in May, RED BEAR was elated to be a featured speaker at the prestigious ISM World 2024. There, RED BEAR Senior Instructor Shawn Malone delivered an insightful session on negotiation strategies to mitigate procurement challenges and risks.
If you missed ISM World—or just want a recap—check out this write-up of the event on our blog. You’ll find insights on:
- The persistent inflation concerns, supply chain challenges, and other risks that procurement teams face
- How supplier diversity and resiliency can help mitigate risk
- The monumental impact AI could have on the supply chain—and how organizations can prepare
- The post-COVID-19 customer service landscape and how our industry can improve
Meanwhile, Shawn's session highlighted six actionable negotiation strategies to help procurement professionals craft win-win deals, build strong supplier agreements, and withstand supply chain disruptions. Learn more about his insights on The Confident Negotiator Podcast.
3. Mastering Tension In Negotiations With Eric Imrie | The Confident Negotiator Podcast #7
In this episode of The Confident Negotiator Podcast, RED BEAR Senior Instructor Eric Imrie shares his techniques for mastering tension in negotiations.
Learn from Eric’s 20 years of experience in consulting, sourcing, and supply chain leadership:
- How to create and manage tension during negotiations
- How creative application of silence can lead to successful outcomes
- The strategic use of demands in tough negotiations
- How leaders can align procurement teams more effectively
Read the complete transcript or listen to the episode to get the full scoop.
4. RED BEAR Negotiation Named a Top Sales Training Company for 2024
For the second year in a row, RED BEAR was recognized as one of the top sales training companies for 2024 by Selling Power.
This recognition was awarded based on RED BEAR’s depth and breadth of programming, innovation, client satisfaction, and overall contributions to the sales training community.
And this isn’t the first time RED BEAR has been recognized. We also earned:
- Selling Power’s 2023 Top Virtual Sales Training Company
- Selling Power’s 2023 Top Sales Training Company
- Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s Top Supply Chain Projects Award 2024
- Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s Top Supply Chain Projects Award 2023
- Recognitions from publications including Supply Chain Management Review, The Institute for Supply Management, Sales & Marketing Management, and Training Industry
Learn more on our Awards page.
5. The January 2024 Manufacturing PMI | The Confident Negotiator Podcast #2
In another episode of The Confident Negotiator Podcast, Tim Fiore, the Chair of the Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, discussed the outlook of the manufacturing sector based on the January 2024 Manufacturing PMI findings.
Highlights include:
- A long-awaited shift toward manufacturing expansion after the longest contraction period in 20 years
- How the pandemic, inventory levels, and economic conditions impact the manufacturing landscape
- Tim’s analysis on the trajectory of the manufacturing sector and its potential impacts
For these and other essential manufacturing industry insights, listen to the full episode or read the transcript.
6. The Conservation Fund Testimonial: A Negotiation Training Success Story
RED BEAR’s impact on the sales and procurement communities has been widely recognized. But nothing is more powerful than hearing about our training from our valued customers.
In this testimonial, The Conservation Fund President and CEO Larry Selzer shares how RED BEAR’s transformative negotiation techniques have contributed to their critical mission—to protect America’s natural landscapes and waterways.
As a nonprofit, The Conservation Fund’s mission hinges on its ability to win grants and donors. Sharpening the team’s negotiation skills helped enable them to build relationships with communities and landowners, win donors, and fund this impactful mission.
Watch the video to learn more about how The Conservation Fund team put RED BEAR’s training into action to make a difference.
7. From Basics to Mastery: The RED BEAR Negotiation Customer Journey
Thinking about embarking on your own RED BEAR journey? Learn more about the road ahead right here.
In this blog post, we show you what it will really be like to master negotiation the RED BEAR way.
You’ll learn:
- What is included with RED BEAR training—and how it’s all taught
- Your team’s step-by-step learning plan
- How we’ll support you along the way
For more details, read the full article. Then, reach out and start the conversation.
8. Common Sales Negotiation Mistakes to Avoid
There’s nothing worse than walking into a seemingly guaranteed win and fumbling the ball. More often than not, this happens due to one or more of the most common negotiation pitfalls.
Those include:
- Setting the wrong goals
- Lack of planning
- Lack of internal cohesion
- Talking to the wrong people
- Misunderstanding the customer’s needs
Just to name a few.
We’ll show you how to spot and avoid these and other missteps—and which skills your team should develop to maximize your chances of success.
Check out the blog to learn more. Then download our free ebook, The Ultimate Guide to Sales Negotiation Training.
9. The RED BEAR Negotiation Model: A Proven Framework
All too often, sales and procurement negotiations fall flat due to conflict avoidance. But with the right approach, you can actually use tension as a tactic to put yourself in a stronger position and generate a deal that benefits everybody.
That’s exactly what RED BEAR’s proprietary negotiation model is all about. We’ll show you how to use competition and collaboration to create amazing value for all parties.
And it works—our approach is trusted by top companies across every industry.
Read the article to learn more about this revolutionary framework and how to adopt it for your team.
10. Measuring the ROI of Negotiation Training
Are your sales and procurement teams hitting their targets? If not, you’ve perhaps considered investing in negotiation training. But how do you know if negotiation training will move the needle?
Employee development can be a significant investment—one you need to be confident will pay off.
Negotiation training can pay in spades: On average, companies see a return of $54 for every dollar they spend on RED BEAR’s training programs.
In this article, we’ll show you:
- How we help you measure the ROI of your team’s sales and procurement training
- How the RED BEAR method has helped other teams like yours
- Which metrics to use to track sales and procurement training ROI
- How to build a business case about sales training to justify the investment
Looking for ways to level up your team? Read the article to learn more.
Make It a Summer of Negotiation Confidence and Competence with RED BEAR
There you have it—your summer reading (and viewing!) blogs from RED BEAR. Each article is packed full of tips, strategies, and insights to transform your team’s negotiations.
Whether you want to master internal negotiations to advance your projects, navigate the complex supply chain landscape, increase the profitability of deals, or develop more meaningful relationships with your suppliers, RED BEAR can help.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Get in touch to make RED BEAR part of your team’s strategic playbook.
