Unlocking Value in Complex Business Deals

Faculty: Guhan Subramanian

Dealmaking is often viewed through two lenses: negotiation theory and auction theory. In negotiations, competitive pressure comes from across the table as you negotiate against your counterpart (or counterparts). In auctions, competitive pressure comes from individuals or entities on the same side of the table who drive up the price. Yet the reality is that most assets are bought and sold through “negotiauctions”—a murky middle ground that falls between pure one-on-one negotiations and pure Sotheby’s-style auctions.

In this focused one-day session, Guhan Subramanian shows you how to successfully navigate complex deals, including negotiauctions, by bringing together auction and negotiation strategies in a meaningful way. You’ll explore proven frameworks for achieving better outcomes in complex negotiations—and learn how to take your negotiation game to the next level.

Through interactive lectures, freeze/unfreeze experience-based learning exercises, and personalized feedback, you will enhance your ability to prepare for complicated bargaining situations. You’ll also learn how to boost leverage by creating the right kind of competition (or in some cases, merely the perception of competition) and how to examine the four critical considerations of complicated negotiation situations: the parties, their interests, the alternatives to agreement on all sides, and the incentives of those at the table.

You will also explore three primary negotiauction moves:

• Setup: Establishing the negotiation conditions under which you are willing to engage
• Rearranging: Adjusting the assets or parties (or both) in ways that unlock new value
• Shutdown: Short-circuiting the auction process in order to create value—for yourself and potentially for your counterparty as well

In this session, you will go beyond traditional negotiation frameworks and techniques, and learn how to incorporate relevant, cutting-edge tools into 21st-century deals—and shape them to your advantage.