You are the lead contract negotiator of a small company that specializes in small GPS guided guidance equipment that can be used in most vehicles. You have been tasked with acquiring a contract with one of divisions of the federal government that is developing driverless convoys for moving goods and supplies.  A customer is able to easily attach your system to a standard portable radar & laser system.  As the lead negotiator, you are aware of the size of the U.S. government and the strength of its negotiating power.  You are also aware of the break-even point in which your company would need to reach in order to make a profit. Your main goal during your negotiation session is to write a contract that enables your company to make a profit on your product that you are selling.

Use the Internet to research similar equipment that your company’s competitors manufacture.

Note: You may create and/or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. Analyze the key approaches that your negotiation team should use in order to research both the government negotiators attending the negotiation session and the government’s overall operations.
2. Examine similar equipment that your company’s competitors produce. Indicate at least two (2) potential selling points that your team will be able to use to overcome any objections on price or quality of your product.
3. Describe the essential steps that you would advise your negotiation team to take in opening the negotiation session with the U.S. government negotiators.
4. Analyze two (2) negotiating gambits that you would use to conduct a successful negotiation session. Justify your response.
5. Outline the major reasons why it is important for you, as a negotiator, to write the contract that represents the interests of your company, as opposed to allowing the government’s negotiation team to dictate the terms of the contract. Present two (2) reasons why you would not want to allow industry members to write the contract. Justify your response.
6. Examine common body language attributes that your negotiation team would look for during the entire negotiation process. Specify the primary reasons why you believe these attributes would assist your negotiation team in overcoming any potential obstacles or objections that would arise.
7. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Describe the skills and behavior needed for effective negotiations.
• Understand and apply the various negotiating strategies.
• Demonstrate the need to plan, organize, direct, and control as an effective negotiator.
• Conduct effective negotiations research.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in contracting and purchasing negotiation techniques.
• Write clearly and concisely about issues in contracting and purchasing negotiation techniques.