About Us

Since 1987, Negotiation Resources has provided negotiation solutions to corporations throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico and Asia. View a sampling of our clients, or see what our clients say.

Bob Gibson, Founder and President of Negotiation Resources, is recognized internationally as a negotiating strategist.
5 Minutes w/Bob Gibson.

What We Do
Negotiation Resources helps negotiate deals with you, OR trains your teams to negotiate more effectively. We also offer a series of training tools. Get more information about our service offerings. They fall into three categories:

• Consulting
  
  
• Speaking
  
  
• Training

Case Studies
See how Negotiation Resources helped other organizations with their negotiation needs.

Case #1: Consulting delivered to a large biomedical firm negotiating with a government agency.

Case #2: Customized negotiation training delivered to service department personnel by Negotiation Resources trainer.

Case #3: A highly comprehensive process, which included consulting, training, coaching, follow-up and hands on availability via phone & email 24/7.

Case #4: A customized “STREET-SMART Negotiation for the Technical Professional” to fit the client’s situation.

Case #5: Customized field sales teams training delivered via video by company executives.

Case #1

Client: Silicon Valley, CA pharmaceutical firm.

Problem: After several years in research and development with development costs of $250 million, the company moved into negotiations with the FDA in Washington, DC.

Negotiations at this stage are critical, because they determine not only approval but how the drug may be marketed.

Solution: We delivered the Special Ops Program with outstanding success. During a 2- month window, a combination of research, training, coaching, planning, rehearsal and execution resulted in drug approval, including creation and approval of the product insert materials.

The training session, “STREET-SMART Negotiation for the Technical Professional,” was followed by the selection and coaching of a team through the negotiation process. This process involved preparation, strategy, tactics, and role-plays with another team from within the company representing the government agency, as well as coaching the team through the negotiation itself.

The product insert accurately reflected the client’s views and the drug was approved. The company team became educated to sophisticated strategies, which were incorporated in all future drug approval negotiations.

Case #2

Client: West coast telecommunications company.

Problem: In an effort to satisfy the customer, the service department used only one solution for solving problems: inappropriate financial payback that cut into the bottom line (at any price)

Solution: Customized negotiation training delivered to service department personnel by Negotiation Resources trainer.

A large telecommunications company found that its customer service department of our client was, in an effort to satisfy customers, "giving away the farm" every time they received a complaint. Although well intentioned, this practice dramatically affected the bottom line.

After a period of observation and interviews, Negotiation Resources created a customized version of "Negotiating When Relationships Matter." Designed to teach employees how to walk the fine line between satisfying a customer without giving up revenue needlessly, training classes were given over a period of three months to every line person and manager in the customer service division.

Company sponsors felt that the program hit the mark, and stopped the needless outflow, which directly impacted the bottom line. The program was so successful that similar trainings were held in sister utilities in both the Southeastern and Northeaster U.S.

Case #3

Client: West Coast technology manufacturing company with offices worldwide.

Problem: After dominating a market for several years, our clients found themselves faced with increased competition and extreme pressure to compete strictly on price. Margins were slipping, and revenue was stagnant.

Solution: After a thorough assessment and interview phase, we created a highly customized process which included consulting, training, coaching and 24/7 support via phone & email. The essence of the program was to teach the sales force to professionally and articulately build value, to not give in to price demands, and to become masters at positioning themselves as the premier company in their industry.

We launched the program at the International Sales Meeting, starting with an overview and small workshop and followed by intensive hands-on coaching sessions. The hands-on work was done on actual customers in real time, and included customized planners designed for the particular situations faced by the sales force. We also conducted coaching for the managers to implement the concepts and skills installed during the sessions. The program was implemented in the US, South America, and Europe.

To date, every division who has completed the process has made their numbers every quarter.

Case #4

Client: High Tech manufacturing company

Problem: Our client distributes their high-end technical product lines in 70 plus countries worldwide. Many of the countries in which they distribute have their own departments of technical specifications regarding safety and acceptability. As you might expect, cultural issues entered into the negotiations, and to further complicate the situation, many of those countries have their own testing facilities which serve as profit centers.

The thrust of the project was to influence technical regulators in those countries to adopt as standard the technical specifications of our clients existing manufacturing standards, which were very high. This would eliminate the daunting prospect of manufacturing trying to satisfy different specifications for every country.

Elements standing in the way were the profit motive mentioned above, the issue of pride and resistance to perceived intrusion by Americans, and the fact that very important, highly sensitive negotiations were being conducted by technical professionals who had very little experience or training in negotiations.

Solution: After interviews and visits, during the research phase, we customized the “STREET-SMART Negotiation for the Technical Professional” to fit the client’s situation. It was delivered personally in the US, Europe, and Asia. Follow-up sessions/review were conducted via e-learning on the web, with great success.
Our client reports, that the negotiation conducted since the intervention have resulted in saving “tens of millions” of dollars, due to not having to manufacture to different sets of technical specifications. As an added benefit, the participants report that their relationships with the foreign regulators are at a new level of respect and communication.

Case #5

Client: Mid-western service organization in the transportation industry with $2.1 billion in annual revenues)

Problem: Protecting Margins in an increasingly competitive marketplace
Solution: Customized field sales teams training delivered via video by company executives.

A large transportation firm located in the Midwest needed help in finding a solution for decreasing margins caused by increasing competition. This problem was complicated by the fact that the sales force had never had to articulate value in what was once a regulated industry.

To secure business and increase sales volumes, the sales force of nearly 1,000 had begun to cut prices. These actions led to consistent gross revenues, but decreased margins.

In response, Negotiation Resources created a highly customized version of its sales program, "How to Negotiate High-Profit Sales". The program was produced on video, utilizing company executives to demonstrate creative ways of handling the situations salespeople encountered in the field.

Using the video as the basis for discussion, Negotiation Resources conducted training for vice presidents who were then tasked to deliver the program to the sales force. To reinforce key messages and ensure consistent techniques were driven through the sales teams, the video was accompanied by an Instructor's Kit, participants' kits, exercises, and visuals.

Results in the field were immediate. Not only did the executive team feel well prepared to deliver key messages to the organization, but margins increased and morale improved. Now, almost five years later, the company continues to utilize the program, which is regarded by the executive sponsor as "the best money ever spent on training."

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