Mind Games & Money Moves: The Psychology of Negotiation
Great negotiators know it's never just about the numbers — it's about the people behind them.
In this course, your team will break down negotiation into its essential components, mastering the logic, economics, and strategy that drive rational deals. Then we go deeper — into the psychology, cognitive biases, emotional triggers, and body-language cues that can make or break an agreement.
Negotiation isn't reserved for boardrooms and billion-dollar contracts — it's a core professional skill. Anytime someone is trying to reach an outcome they can't achieve without the cooperation of others, they're negotiating. Whether it's resolving a dispute with a client over rework, aligning colleagues around a plan, securing better terms from a vendor, or closing a deal, the same universal principles apply.
This course delivers real-world tools that take the fear out of negotiation. Your team will learn how to plan and manage difficult conversations, read the other party's signals with accuracy, and craft the opening offer that shapes the entire outcome. The course draws on the work of the field's most influential voices — Chris Voss, Roger Fisher and William Ury, Stuart Diamond, Robert Cialdini, and Vanessa Van Edwards — and the behavioral science of Daniel Kahneman and Dan Ariely, translated into practical moves participants can use the moment they leave the room.
By blending behavioral science with practical application, your team will leave with the confidence and competence to negotiate anything — anywhere. And your organization gains negotiators who can better protect its interests, strengthen its relationships, and create value at every table.
This course is taught by Melinda Milheim, JD, who has spent her career at the negotiation table where the stakes were highest. As part of her work for the federal government, she negotiated complex, high-dollar contracts for major weapon systems, missile systems, engineering, and R&D — high-stakes negotiations where reading the other side, managing the psychology, and crafting the right offer determined outcomes worth millions. An award-winning negotiation instructor, featured speaker, content creator, and podcast guest, she is also the author of the forthcoming book The Powder Keg: The Science & Strategy of Successful Negotiations. She brings the science, the strategy, and the hard-won experience of real negotiation into every class — and she'll teach your team to do the same.
Best for: Teams, managers, and professionals who negotiate as part of their work — in deals, with vendors and clients, and across the organization. Ideal for organizations that want their team negotiating with more skill and confidence, and gaining better outcomes. No prior negotiation training required.
Format: Available as a two-day or three-day course. The two-day course delivers the complete framework and core hands-on practice; the three-day adds extended role-plays, case work, and deeper application to your team's real negotiations. Delivered consecutively or as separate sessions over time. Eligible federal acquisition workforce attendees earn 8 CLPs per day. In person or virtual.
Pricing is set per engagement. Contact Phoenix Canyon to request a quote.
Great negotiators know it's never just about the numbers — it's about the people behind them.
In this course, your team will break down negotiation into its essential components, mastering the logic, economics, and strategy that drive rational deals. Then we go deeper — into the psychology, cognitive biases, emotional triggers, and body-language cues that can make or break an agreement.
Negotiation isn't reserved for boardrooms and billion-dollar contracts — it's a core professional skill. Anytime someone is trying to reach an outcome they can't achieve without the cooperation of others, they're negotiating. Whether it's resolving a dispute with a client over rework, aligning colleagues around a plan, securing better terms from a vendor, or closing a deal, the same universal principles apply.
This course delivers real-world tools that take the fear out of negotiation. Your team will learn how to plan and manage difficult conversations, read the other party's signals with accuracy, and craft the opening offer that shapes the entire outcome. The course draws on the work of the field's most influential voices — Chris Voss, Roger Fisher and William Ury, Stuart Diamond, Robert Cialdini, and Vanessa Van Edwards — and the behavioral science of Daniel Kahneman and Dan Ariely, translated into practical moves participants can use the moment they leave the room.
By blending behavioral science with practical application, your team will leave with the confidence and competence to negotiate anything — anywhere. And your organization gains negotiators who can better protect its interests, strengthen its relationships, and create value at every table.
This course is taught by Melinda Milheim, JD, who has spent her career at the negotiation table where the stakes were highest. As part of her work for the federal government, she negotiated complex, high-dollar contracts for major weapon systems, missile systems, engineering, and R&D — high-stakes negotiations where reading the other side, managing the psychology, and crafting the right offer determined outcomes worth millions. An award-winning negotiation instructor, featured speaker, content creator, and podcast guest, she is also the author of the forthcoming book The Powder Keg: The Science & Strategy of Successful Negotiations. She brings the science, the strategy, and the hard-won experience of real negotiation into every class — and she'll teach your team to do the same.
Best for: Teams, managers, and professionals who negotiate as part of their work — in deals, with vendors and clients, and across the organization. Ideal for organizations that want their team negotiating with more skill and confidence, and gaining better outcomes. No prior negotiation training required.
Format: Available as a two-day or three-day course. The two-day course delivers the complete framework and core hands-on practice; the three-day adds extended role-plays, case work, and deeper application to your team's real negotiations. Delivered consecutively or as separate sessions over time. Eligible federal acquisition workforce attendees earn 8 CLPs per day. In person or virtual.
Pricing is set per engagement. Contact Phoenix Canyon to request a quote.