Student Name/ ID Number:

Unit Number/ Title: Unit 44: Pitching and Negotiation Skills

Academic Year: 2020 - 2021
Unit Tutors: Nicola Molony, Mehmet Ozaksu
Assessment Number/ Title: Essential Negotiation Skills
Hand-out Dates:
Submission Date:

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Negotiation.................................................................................................................................3

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The Process of Negotiation........................................................................................................3
Negotiation Process....................................................................................................................4
Information Required in the Negotiation Process......................................................................4
The Stakeholder Involvement in the Negotiation Process.........................................................4
Issues during the negotiation process and how to overcome from them...................................5
Request for Proposal (RFP).......................................................................................................6
The process of Request for Proposal..........................................................................................6
Key Documents used in the RFP process..................................................................................7
Contracts....................................................................................................................................8
Process of contract.....................................................................................................................8
Tendering...................................................................................................................................9
Tendering process......................................................................................................................9
Pitching....................................................................................................................................10
Fundamental Principles of a pitch............................................................................................10
Development of a successful pitch...........................................................................................10
Outcomes of the pitch..............................................................................................................10
Potential issues occurred in a pitch and recommendations......................................................11
How organisations Fulfill their requirements through pitching...............................................11
Conclusion................................................................................................................................11
References................................................................................................................................12

Introduction
Negotiation is one of the most important skills in the business. In the communication
procedure, it plays a vital role for the business. At the very same time, pitching is also very
important. A business is highly dependable on its pitching to grab more opportunities. As an

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Assistant Manager in the Administration Department of Grwothonics, one has to be very
much conscious about the negotiation and pitching of the company. Growthonics is one of
the most famous business consultancies in the United Kingdom. It has considerable diversity
in its work sector. At their core, Growthonics are salespeople. The talented team supports and
changes the sales teams to help them generate more money and achieve faster growth. The
company keep up with the times by introducing and utilising the most up-to-date
technologies and tactics to help different organisations to increase their sales.  Growthonicse
continues to provide incredible value to their clients by allowing them to benefit from
the experience.

Negotiation
Negotiation is a technique or procedure for resolving disagreements. It is a method of
reaching a compromise or agreement while avoiding conflict and disagreement (Carnevale,
2012). Individuals understandably seek the most significant possible conclusion for their
stance in every debate. The values of justice, mutual benefit, and preserving a relationship, on
the other hand, are critical to a successful end.

The Process of Negotiation

Negotiations can occur in any professional environment, yet people bargain on a daily basis
outside of the office. This occurs when two or more parties in a scenario of interest have
more than one conceivable result but have not yet decided on one. When buying a used
vehicle, there may be a negotiation between the buyer and the seller.

Negotiations occur when -

 Convincing someone or a party to take the side of an issue

 Resolving a disagreement between two parties
 Offering a product or service for sale
 Developing a relationship
 Coming to an agreement with a specific party
 Resolving a disagreement
 Demonstrating a point

For the factory painting project, Growthonics has received several offers. To start a
successful negotiation, both sides must gather background knowledge on who may benefit

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and who may lose in the discussion, know what negotiation methods and strategies to utilise,
construct a negotiation plan, and follow through on it.

Negotiation Process
The negotiation process is divided into five steps:

 Planning and preparation.

 Establishing ground rules
 Defining and justifying the situation.
 Problem-solving and bargaining
 Completion and implementation

The necessary parties discuss in a coordinated manner at each level of the negotiation process
to identify how to protect each other's interests (Weingart, 2014). The negotiation must be
closed after the process is completed, and a negotiation postmortem should be done along
with the formation of a negotiation archive.

Information Required in the Negotiation Process

There are three key negotiating stages in the total negotiation process, such as:

 Pre negotiation: Establishing confidence and a relationship between Growthonics and

other company prior to the negotiation.
 Actual Negotiating: At this point, the negotiation process begins.
 Post-negotiation: Evaluation and follow-up on the agreement.

In the current circumstance, Growthonics's negotiation culture is based on achieving a win-

win outcome for both parties. Growthonics will gain from the conclusion of this discussion
because it is a win-win situation.

The Stakeholder Involvement in the Negotiation Process

Stakeholders are individuals, groups, and organisations who participate in or do not
participate in the negotiation process but rely on the outcome. Let's assume that, Growthonics
need to make a business deal with a painting company as McDonald Painting Contractors
Ltd. If we plot the stakeholders on a stakeholder map, in this case, we can see that McDonald
Painting Contractors Ltd. is very interested in the deal and should be kept updated.
Growthonics is a major player in this discussion because they are about to start a deal with a

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painting firm. Due to their enormous power and interest, Growthonics should be kept
informed and satisfied. The main benefit of a stakeholder map is that it provides a visual
representation of all the people who can have an impact on the project and how they are
connected.

Figure 01: Stakeholder Map

Stakeholders and shareholders are frequently perplexed. Although shareholders own the
company and are interested in its success, this does not imply that they should become
partners in every project or product the company launches (Weingart, 2014). Stakeholders
can act on a larger scale and are invested in the project's or product's success, not just because
it affects the company's profitability.

Issues during the negotiation process and how to overcome from

them
In the overall procedure of any negotiation method, there are huge possibilities of appearing
some key issues. These issues can be the reason for being failed in the negotiation procedure.
Some possible issues are given below –

Failure to prepare thoroughly - Rushing into a negotiation without enough preparation is one
of the most common mistakes made by business negotiators. Wise negotiators recognise the
need of taking the time to explore various areas of the negotiation thoroughly. They can start
by considering their best alternative to a negotiated deal (Andrea, 2013). An alternative is the

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best line of action available to them if they are dissatisfied with the conclusion of the
negotiation. It's also crucial to understand their worth or the point at which they can walk
away. All of these equations will assist them in making more rational decisions.

When it comes to negotiating, psychologists discovered that everyone uses cognitive

shortcuts, especially when they are unprepared or short on time. They look to be
overconfident in their chances, for example. They also pay more attention to vivid elements
such as the job price than to less showy facts such as working time and dedication required
for the job, which may significantly impact the outcome. They can avoid many undesirable
results by carefully planning and taking the time to negotiate.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

A request for proposal (RFP) is a document issued by a company, non-profit, or government
agency to specify the needs for a specific project. They use the RFP approach to solicit bids
from qualified vendors and determine which vendor is best suited to perform the project. It is
an important document regarding the negotiation procedure of any company.

The process of Request for Proposal

Step 1: Establishing Needs and Specific Requirements: Growthonics determined that the
factory needed to be repainted and cleaned.

Step 2: Determine whether or not a provider is eligible: After Growthonics has determined
the project's requirement, the next stage establishes vendor eligibility criteria. To scan and
shortlist vendors, some minimum eligibility criteria will need to be established. They must
also clearly identify the additional elements that will provide suppliers or contractors with an
advantage.

Step 3: There are two Growthonics alternatives. They can either post an advertisement to
invite proposals or contact each vendor individually to invite proposals from a specific list of
merchants.

Step 4: Scan the Database of Existing Suppliers: Because every corporation has a service
provider database, they should start their search for a service provider.

Step 5: Find new suppliers is one of the most critical steps. As soon as Growthonics receives
the final copy of the RFP document, they must distribute it to service providers in paper copy
or electronic format.

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Step 6: Scrutinise and narrow the list of potential suppliers - Growthonics should compile a
preliminary list of potential suppliers after vetting each one against the eligibility
requirements.

Step 7: Develop a Supplier/Contractor Evaluation Approach — Growthonics need a robust

plan for analysing and selecting vendors. The procedure to be followed, evaluation criteria,
and information on the decision-makers should all be included in this plan (Rousseau, 2019).

Step 8: Create a request for proposal - A request for proposal is a document containing
information from the requirements specification document and the seller evaluation strategy.

Step 9: Ask for Suggestions and Feedback on the Draft - The draft prepared by the company
in step 8 is not the final version. Before Growthonics creates the final document, the draft
must be given to all Pabro Master Painters internal stakeholders for their feedback and ideas.
If Growthonics makes a supplier list in step 6, this list should also be attached with the draft.

Phase 10: Write the Final Document - Growthonics can prepare their final copy of the RFP
after making revisions to the request for proposal draft to accommodate the ideas obtained
during the previous step.

Step 11: Send out the RFP — Once the final RFP is completed, they should send it out to the
vendors via the appropriate medium.

Step 12: Wait for a response to the proposal.

Step 13: Review the proposal response – after getting the proposal response, Growthonics
must evaluate all of the received proposals and select the winning supplier or vendor.

Step 14: Choose a contractor.

Step 15: Create a Work Order Form - The final step in the RFP process is to create a work
order form and send it to the chosen supplier or contractor.

Key Documents used in the RFP process

Statement of Work (SOW) - This document enumerates and categorises all aspects of the
project. The project's activities, outcomes, and schedule will all be documented. This is a
very extensive document because it lays the foundation for the project.

Request for quotation (RFQ) - A request for quote (RFQ) is a document that outlines a
buyer's requirements and asks vendors to respond with pricing and payment information. An

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RFQ differs from an RFP in that it focuses solely on the cost of a specific item or products
(Rousseau, 2019). RFPs, on the other hand, are a little more flexible and allow the vendor to
present creative ideas.

Terms and conditions - Terms and conditions establish the regulations that apply to the
contract's execution and are an integral aspect of it. Buyers and sellers must agree on the
terms and conditions in order to form a contract.

Contracts
A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between at least two parties that specifies and
governs the parties' rights and obligations. Because it complies with the law's standards and
approval, a contract is legally enforceable (Patterson, 2014). In the case of Growthonics, both
sides signed a contract for the job after the negotiations. Before they sign on the dotted line,
they must grasp the substance of the deal they are signing. A contract is a written or spoken
agreement between two parties to provide a product or service. A contract consists of six
essential elements that combine to form a legally binding agreement. A contract must include
the following elements in order to be enforceable:

 An offer that is very specific about what will be offered

 Acceptance, or the other party's obligation to accept the offer made
 The parties' exchanges of consideration, money, or something of value
 Capacity in terms of the parties' ages and mental abilities
 The willingness of both sides to follow through on their commitments
 The contract's legally binding terms and conditions, often known as the contract's
object

To put it another way, a contract is enforceable when both parties agree to something, and
their promises are legal.

Process of contract
When contracts are difficult or of significant value, there is usually some discussion between
the parties. Both parties enter into an agreement in order to bargain for what they can deliver
and obtain. Both parties will engage in the deal with the hope of profit. Contracting parties
can either negotiate on their own or choose a delegate to carry out the task on their behalf. If
a third party negotiates on a party's behalf, it must be the legally designated representative. It

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is critical to include in a written paper. The contract wording should be relevant,
straightforward, and concise. Writing an outline will allow the parties to create a legal
document without any potential for disagreements until the agreement is formed. Consistency
of data, such as party names, addresses, and terms and conditions, is critical to avoid any
confusion. Writing a contract is the most effective technique for parties to acquire insight into
what each expects from the other and to protect themselves against future false assertions.

Tendering
A tender is a request to bid on or accept a contract proposal for a project, such as a takeover
bid (Shash, 2018). Tendering is the process by which governments, financial institutions,
private sector corporations and businesses, or non-governmental organisations request offers
for big projects that must be completed within a certain time frame. The phrase also refers to
the procedure by which shareholders respond to a takeover offer by submitting their shares or
bonds.

Tendering process
There are seven steps in the tendering process.

 Establishing the tendering process: Growthonics recognised the necessity for a

tendering process.
 Request for bids: Growthonics will have to make the RFT at this point.
 Invite tenders: After seeking bids, Growthonics Fabric shall issue invites to the
suppliers who have submitted offers in response to the RFT.
 Suppliers reply: After sending out invitations, suppliers will respond with whether or
not they intend to participate in the bid.
 Evaluation and selection: Growthonics should assess and choose the vendor based on
the parameters. Past projects, quality of work, punctuality, and cost will all be
considered in the selection criteria.
 Notification and debriefing: Growthonics picked McDonald Painting Contractors Ltd
for their quality and punctuality. McDonald Painting Contractors Ltd. will be notified,
and feedback will be sent to other suppliers who replied to the RFT.
 Establishment of a contract: Finally, a contract with the chosen vendor, McDonald
Painting Contractors Ltd, will be established and handled.

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Pitching
A pitch is a presentation of a business initiative to possible investors. People pitch a business
when they require resources. The pitching presentation aims to gain an investor if the goal is
to raise start-up capital (Domberger, 2016). Many businesses make sales pitches to potential
customers. Finally, some businesses pitch because they require a partner or resource to assist
them in achieving their objectives.

Fundamental Principles of a pitch

It is necessary to use suitable body language. It is critical to comprehend the significance of
body language. Also, anyone may create an interactive pitch by using visual aids. A
significant component of a good pitch is to prepare and practice before actually pitching.

Development of a successful pitch

The goal of pitching is to sell the company. The buyer considers trust to be an essential issue.
To develop a trust bridge during a pitch, one organisation must guarantee that they pitch to
the proper individual, individuals who decide whether to use services or buy items. If they
don't, it's a waste of time since they're talking to the wrong individuals. Opening a pitch with
an energetic and forceful stance, such as asking the audience a question or utilising a strong
tagline or quotation, is an excellent way to start. In addition, the introduction should be brief.
It is critical to make the presentation with innovative and beautiful slides.

Outcomes of the pitch

There are four possible outcomes of a pitch; they might participate in due diligence –

Possibility 1 – If the company's efforts result in due diligence, they will be awarded the
project. The next step is determined by whether or not they have signed a no-shop agreement.

Possibility 2 – If any company hears "No thanks," they should stop bothering the other party
of this procedure.

Possibility 3 - Unfortunately, the most common outcome is not hearing anything at all. If any
company receives no response from the other party, the best course of action is to investigate
their interactions with that company.

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Possibility 4 – In this scenario, the party wants to see progress in the business before signing
an agreement. They will specify the types of progress they are looking for, either directly or
indirectly. The company must now return to the development of its strategies.

Potential issues occurred in a pitch and recommendations

It can be terrifying to talk about someone's initiative in front of other people who aren't as
enthusiastic as they are (Fleisig, 2015). When giving a pitch, it's natural to feel nervous. Even
the most self-assured individual will feel terrified at this point. There are a variety of
concerns that could arise throughout the pitching process, including:

 Committing without a strategy

 Financial exaggeration or lying
 Without any evidence to back it up, forecasting growth is a risky proposition.
 Bringing up the fact that they don't have any competitors
 claiming that there are no gaps or blind spots in their management or team
 Concentrating solely on the positive.
 pondering issues
 Going over the slides
 Money-conscious.

How organisations Fulfill their requirements through pitching

Pitching has become the standard method of communication for entrepreneurs. It originated
as a way of talking to very busy people who had to decide in a short period and has grown to
meet many long-term criteria for a start-up, such as raising money, applying and participating
in start-up competitions, forming alliances, delivering keynotes, selling goods, applying for
accelerator and incubator programs, and more (Pappas, 2019).

Conclusion
Growthonics is a well-known business consulting firm in the United Kingdom. Its work
sector is highly diverse. The talented team of Growthonics supports and changes the sales
teams to help them earn more money and grow more quickly. The company keeps up with the
times by introducing and utilising cutting-edge technologies and strategies to assist various
businesses in increasing their sales. Growthonicse continues to add tremendous value to their
customers by allowing them to participate in the experience.

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References
Andrea, J. (2013). An agile request for proposal (RFP) process. In Proceedings of the Agile
Development Conference, 2003. ADC 2003 (pp. 152-161). IEEE.

Carnevale, P.J. and Pruitt, D.G. (2012). Negotiation and mediation. Annual review of
psychology, 43(1), pp.531-582.

Domberger, S. and Rimmer, S. (2016). Competitive tendering and contracting in the public
sector: A survey. International journal of the economics of business, 1(3), pp.439-453.

Fleisig, G.S., Andrews, J.R., Dillman, C.J. and Escamilla, R.F. (2015). Kinetics of baseball
pitching with implications about injury mechanisms. The American journal of sports
medicine, 23(2), pp.233-239.

Pappas, A.M., Zawacki, R.M. and Mccarthy, C.F. (2019). Rehabilitation of the pitching
shoulder. The American journal of sports medicine, 13(4), pp.223-235.

Patterson, E.W. (2014). The Interpretation and Construction of Contracts. Colum. L. Rev.,
64, p.833.

Rousseau, D.M. and McLean Parks, J. (2019). The contracts of individuals and organisations.
Research in organisational behaviour, 15, pp.1-1.

Shash, A.A. (2018). Factors considered in tendering decisions by top UK contractors.

Construction management and economics, 11(2), pp.111-118.

Weingart, L.R., Bennett, R.J. and Brett, J.M.(2014). The impact of consideration of issues
and motivational orientation on group negotiation process and outcome. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 78(3), p.504.

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