spacer

Frequently Asked Questions


a) Can we add in some extra sessions?

Yes, for in-house programs we are happy to work with you to incorporate other sessions around the program, and we routinely deliver the program as part of other organisational activities such as regional and team conferences. We do recommend extra sessions be scheduled before the negotiating course begins, this ensures participants are fresh and can absorb both activities.

 

b) Can we observe the exercises?

Yes, but only if you attend as a participant. We promise the participants a safe learning environment where they can take risks, try new things, be coached by our experts and not be afraid to fail. If they feel that their performance might affect their career prospects they would be reluctant to try out new techniques.

 

c) Can we have more than 12 participants?

Yes. The course is structured around sets of 6 so that by adding additional consultants, meeting rooms and video equipment we can handle groups up to 36 with the

consequent increase in fees. However, as there are no economies of scale we feel that it is usually better to handle groups of 12 at a time.


d) Can we have less than 12 participants?

Yes, however the minimum number of participants on any program is 8 and our fee remains the same. We recommend the Scotwork Open Course for clients who have less than 8 participants to train, Scotwork runs regular non-residential Open (public) programs in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Brisbane. Up to three participants from each company or organisation can attend with a maximum of 12 ensuring a rich mix of participants and organisations on each program. Public program dates are available here.


e) Can Scotwork arrange the administration?

Yes. Scotwork will help find a suitable venue for your team, prepare and circulate comprehensive joining instructions, supply all the course materials, arrange consultant travel to your location, undertake all the course set up and facilitation, handle any issues arising during the course, dismantle and remove all the equipment afterwards and send out the post-course documentation.

 

f) Can we have customised cases?

We would need to understand your objective in having us do this. We are there to teach participants about the negotiating process and the skills of negotiation, not

about the technical details of your business. Extensive trials have shown that setting the cases in the client's own business is generally a recipe for disaster, for the

following reasons:

 

  • the participants get bogged down in the technical detail, they bring in external knowledge, and tend to try to problem-solve rather than negotiate
  • different participants have different levels of understanding about the business
  • the participants are reluctant to accept criticism when it is set in their own job environment.

However, we do select cases from our library that reflect the common business and negotiating problems faced by your team and, during the feed-back sessions, the consultants relate the learning points back to the participants' work situations. The Group Issues session on the program also provides an excellent opportunity to discuss and debate issues specific to your business.

 

g) Can someone join late or leave early?

We strongly advise against this. If anyone misses the first evening and any one of the three lectures on the first full day then they will not be able to make proper sense of

the course and so will derive little benefit from it. After that, if any single individual has to miss one of the case-plays they will lose out on the skills practise and so the

skill improvement will be reduced.

 

h) Is there a follow-up course?

Yes we have two follow up courses. We offer a one day follow-up "refresher" session for those who have attended the Advanced Negotiating Skills course and want ongoing practice and skills coaching. These are usually arranged 6-12 months after the course after participants have had time to practice and use the skills in their work and personal environment.

 

We also offer "Scotwork - The Next Steps", a 3 day program exclusively for those who have completed the Advanced course, which covers strategic negotiating, corporate alignment and coaching others through negotiations.

 

We also offer consulting services to help clients prepare for large deals, more information is available here.

 


i) Can we have feedback on individual participants?

No, this is a skills development course, not an assessment course. (See b above). We can however provide advice after the course on themes, issues and challenges across your group and advise on post course initiatives that would help reinforce the skills for the participants.

 

 

j) What job functions are appropriate for participants?

The course is appropriate for anyone whose work gives them authority to agree to or vary the terms of any commercial transaction, (e.g. timing, priority delivery, price,

specification, employment terms). We train people from sales, marketing, purchasing, operations, human relations, project management and finance areas,

from young professionals up to senior executives and CEO / leadership teams.

 

 

k) Can we mix the job functions on a single course?

Yes, the greater the mix of job functions the more the course will reflect real life. We encourage clients to mix sales, marketing, purchasing, finance and operations staff. Some of our clients invite their suppliers or their clients to attend the course with them, which can dramatically enhance their business relationships.

 

 

l) Can we have direct reports on the same course?

Yes, and there can be some team building benefits in doing this. However, wewould want to ensure before the program that the manager will be comfortable

having his or her performance critiqued by our consultants in front of the direct reports. We would also want the reports to be comfortable being coached in front of the boss. We can advise you on this, but ultimately this is your decision - if this is likely to be a problem then we would suggest the manager should attend a separate course.

 

 

m) What industries do you work in?

We work extensively in accounting, consultancy, corporate banking, venture capital, state and federal government, food and beverage, the oil industry, engineering,

advertising, computing, construction, the utilities, publishing, retailing, packaging, insurance brokerage, pharmaceuticals, health, airlines, telecommunications and the

chemical industry. Some of our clients are listed here.

 

 

n) Why is the Scotwork negotiating program more expensive than other courses?

Unlike most training which is based primarily on trainers delivering lectures and information, with perhaps a small amount of time for role play, the Scotwork course involves intensive, enjoyable skills coaching delivered by experts, to quickly change behaviour and build capability.

 

Over 80% of the 27 hours of the program is spent on practical activity, and you leave with immediately applicable new life skills, not just information. We are able to remove the weakest behaviours from participants in a safe environment which is why the program has been so successful since 1976.

 

Our costs reflect the experience of our consulting team, the low ratio of 6 participants to 1 consultant for more personal attention, and the exceptional results we consistently deliver for our clients.

 

 

o) Can we get a discount if we buy more courses?

No, we do not discount our course fee. We have a finite and limited resource in the form of our consultants. As with any item in short supply, increased demand often means a higher price, not a lower one. Our clients consistently report that the program more than pays for itself within 3 months, return on investment data from our clients is available here.

 

 

p) Can we get copies of the feedback research?

Yes. For in-company courses, you will receive copies of the end of course evaluation forms from your team. You also receive aggregate responses to the 3 month follow-up study from your participants, both in percentage and in absolute terms. The data will not identify the name of the respondent as anonymity is guaranteed. We are able to arrange a meeting after the program to discuss advice on ensuring that the behaviour change and processes can be embedded into the organisation.

 

 

q) Is there a lower level course?

Yes. We offer a Negotiating Foundation course for those who support negotiators, for those who negotiate within strictly limited parameters and for trainees. This is not a skills course - it is an information course. It is not appropriate for anyone who needs skills training. As each course is custom written we need a sizeable audience with identical training needs. Please contact us for more information.

 

 

r) What is the timetable and why is it so intensive?

The timetable is deliberately intensive, fast-paced and lots of fun, running across one evening and two and a half days, as follows:

 

  • Monday 5:00pm - 7:00 pm
  • Tuesday 8:30am - 7:00pm
  • Wednesday 8:30am - 7:00pm
  • Thursday 8:30am - 2:00pm

 

We deliberately run at this level of intensity because it allows us to provide you with around 27 hours of information, practice and coaching typically with only three days out of the office, and because ultimately, it works to help change your behaviour in ways that will improve your performance.

 

 

s) Can we have a different timetable?

We always run a fast-paced and intensive program, but yes, for in-house programs we have a large variety of timetables that all retain the key features of the Course and can work with you to meet your needs.

 

 

t) I have never heard of you. How do you advertise?

Almost all of our new work comes through recommendations from those who have attended the course. We work extensively with a wide range of leading organisations, some of our clients are here.

 

 

u) How do I book?

Individuals can register to attend our public programs here. To organise in-house training sessions for your team, please contact us and will be happy to work with you to put a challenging and rewarding program together for your organisation.