Negotiation competition 2014 student blog Dewi Jones

I was not sure what to expect when I took part in this year’s negotiation competition. I thought it was just going to be an interesting competition to participate in. The workshops were really helpful with regards to what a negotiation actually includes and also how to actually partake in a successful negotiation.

The skills I have learnt during this year’s competition I am sure will be invaluable in the future. The main skill I feel I am going to take away is the ability to think on my feet quickly. There were many times when the opposition completely threw me with their demands and so between my partner and myself we had to quickly frame concise and reasonable retorts, which we managed to do successfully I believe.

The other main skill I feel I have learnt from this competition is understanding how important preparation is. Our team was very well prepared for all of our negotiations and I believe this is one of the main reasons we were successful. We had some really well thought-out out of the box ideas and we also had break downs of any facts or figures we needed for our negotiations.

So far this competition has been really fun and insightful. I have learnt new skills, met new people from other years at my university and furthermore been offered some work experience as my team was a successful finalist, which as all law students know is invaluable.

I would highly recommend that students get involved with this competition next year because you will learn new skills and make some good contacts, you will gain everything and lose nothing.