Watching 113 Negotiations Gave Me Sore Feet
This week I watched (and supported) a lot of negotiation practice: corporate sessions, law students, and a negotiation competition.
The result: 52 people practising on purpose, delivering 113 separate negotiations.
And yes — I watched every one of them… standing up at my desk. Hence the sore feet.
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What happened next at The Negotiation Club
At our Negotiation Club members’ night, I stopped being the spectator and got involved.
I completed five one-to-one negotiations with different members — still standing up — and it reminded me of something important:
"Even trainers must practise."
Why watching is useful (but not sufficient)
Observation is valuable. You can spot structure, timing, and behaviours you miss when you’re “in” the negotiation.
But you cannot build real negotiation capability through observation alone.
It’s like being a chef who watches cooking shows all day but never tastes the food. You might understand the process, but you don’t develop judgement, feel, or timing.
If you want the practical explanation of what “structured practice” really looks like in negotiation, follow How to Achieve Negotiation Success with the Power of Structured Practice.
Why I chose to “be greedy” and practise
I wanted repetition.
Different people create different pace, pressure, and unpredictability — and that’s exactly what builds the skill.
By negotiating with several members back-to-back, I could:
- test different openings
- practise staying calm under time pressure
- experiment with small changes in wording
- learn what landed well (and what didn’t)
This is also why we often use cards to create short, repeatable reps. If you want an example format, see Using 2-Variable Negotiation Cards in Practice.
Key takeaways
- Negotiation is a performance skill. You improve through reps, not reading.
- Observation helps you notice. Practice helps you execute.
- Variety accelerates learning. Different counterparts expose different weaknesses and habits.
- Short negotiations still count. Five focused reps can be more valuable than one long conversation.
A simple practice drill you can do this week
Do this with a colleague or friend:
Round 1 (4 minutes)
Negotiate a simple single-variable deal (price only).
Round 2 (4 minutes)
Repeat the same scenario, but you must:
- pause before every counter, and
- summarise the other person’s position once before making your next proposal.
If you want to turn this into a cleaner skill rep, treat it as an Active Listening drill: listen for meaning, reflect it back, then respond.
Debrief (2 minutes)
- What did you do differently the second time?
- What words or moments created movement?
- What will you repeat next time?
If you do nothing else this week: do two short reps instead of one “big” negotiation.
Come and practise with others!
If you haven’t practised in a while, don’t wait for a high-stakes negotiation to be your training ground.
You’re welcome to join a free Negotiation Taster Session — it’s practical, structured, and designed to build confidence through doing.
Join a Free Negotiation Taster Session
If you do join: wear decent shoes ;-)
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