The World Cup Has Kicked Off… But are you treating your procurement skill like a Sunday League?
As football fans around the world turn their attention to the World Cup, it is worth reflecting on something that often gets overlooked.
The world’s best footballers do not become elite performers by attending a presentation once a year.
....They practise!
- Week after week.
- Month after month.
- Season after season.
Negotiation Is A Skill, Not Knowledge
Most procurement professionals have attended negotiation training at some point in their careers.
They may have learned about preparation, tactics, questioning, active listening, anchoring, and concessions.
But knowing something and being able to do it effectively under pressure are two very different things.
"The challenge is not understanding negotiation. The challenge is performing negotiation."
The Hidden Cost Of Not Practising
In many procurement teams, some individuals consistently achieve better outcomes than others.
Some appear more confident. Some ask better questions. Some handle pressure more effectively. Some spot opportunities that others miss.
Without structured practice, these skills often remain trapped within individuals.
IS THIS YOU...
"Imagine a football club where the best players never train with the rest of the squad?!"
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What Would A Championship Procurement Team Look Like?
Imagine a procurement team where:
- Every member regularly practises negotiation.
- Team members observe each other negotiating.
- Strong negotiators share techniques naturally.
- Individuals receive constructive feedback.
- Confidence grows through experience.
- Mistakes become learning opportunities.
- Best practice becomes visible to everyone.
Over time, negotiation capability becomes embedded within the culture of the organisation.
"The team becomes stronger as a collective unit."
The Corporate Negotiation Club Approach
This is exactly why I created The Negotiation Club.
For years, I have been running negotiation clubs for procurement professionals, law students, commercial teams, business owners, and international organisations.
The principle is simple:
"Provide regular opportunities to PRACTICE."
A Corporate Negotiation Club creates a structured environment where team members can practise realistic negotiations, experiment with different approaches, learn from observation, and develop confidence over time.
I'm offering a FREE Negotiation Practice DEMO
Simple Practice Activities You Can Start Using Tomorrow
Many organisations assume negotiation development requires expensive training programmes.
It does not.
Here are a few simple exercises any procurement team can introduce.
Exercise 1: The Four-Minute Negotiation
Create a simple buyer and seller scenario.
Give one person a budget. Give the other person a break-even point. Allow four minutes to negotiate.
At the end, discuss:
- What questions were asked?
- What information was discovered?
- What assumptions were made?
- What could have been done differently?
Exercise 2: Observer Challenge
While two people negotiate, assign an observer.
The observer watches for open questions, closed questions, summaries, proposals, concessions, emotional signals, and missed opportunities.
Exercise 3: One Skill Focus
Rather than practising everything at once, focus on one skill.
This could be summarising, using silence, asking open questions, active listening, or handling objections.
Exercise 4: The Difficult Supplier Challenge
Create a role-play involving a difficult supplier situation, such as a price increase, supply shortage, service failure, or contract dispute.
Allow team members to test different approaches and discuss which techniques worked best.
Exercise 5: Team Negotiation
Assign roles such as lead negotiator, observer, decision maker, and data manager.
This mirrors real procurement environments and helps individuals understand the value of teamwork during negotiations.
Why Monthly Practice Works
One of the biggest misconceptions about skill development is that it requires huge amounts of time.
In reality, consistency matters more than intensity.
"A simple 90-minute practice session each month can make a remarkable difference"
Monthly negotiation practice creates repeated learning moments, shared experience, stronger confidence, and better commercial conversations.
Most importantly, it keeps negotiation development alive within the business.
It Does Not Have To Cost A Fortune
Many organisations spend substantial sums on training courses only to discover that little changes afterwards.
Why?
Because learning without practice rarely creates lasting behavioural change.
"A Corporate Negotiation Club focuses on doing rather than listening."
It creates an affordable, practical, and repeatable way to build negotiation capability across the team.
Building Your Procurement Championship Team
The World Cup reminds us that elite performance is never accidental.
It is the result of preparation, repetition, feedback, and practice.
The same applies to procurement negotiations.
If you want better outcomes, stronger confidence, and more capable negotiators, your team needs opportunities to practise.
The question is simple:
"Are your negotiators training like professionals, or hoping for professional results while operating like a Sunday League team?"
Ready To Build Your Own Corporate Negotiation Club?
For years, I have helped people practise negotiation skills through The Negotiation Club.
Whether you want a monthly practice session, a structured development programme, or a fully managed Corporate Negotiation Club, I can help you get started.
Contact The Negotiation Club today and let’s start building your championship negotiators.
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