A full-day Negotiation A to Z workshop with B2B practitioners at GBSA in Suwon: a day shaped by a thoughtful training environment and enthusiastic participation. Today at the Gyeonggi Business & Science Accelerator (GBSA) in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, I ran the full-day “Business Negotiation A to Z” program for B2B marketing and sales staff from regional mid-sized companies.
Once again I was struck by how warm and thoughtful the training venue at GBSA is.
Even the smallest details showed consideration for both the instructor and the participants, and as a result everyone stayed engaged and took an active part all day.
Lunch ran a little late, but I finally clicked “buy” on that AI ETF I’d been putting off!
I quietly cast a vote of confidence in the Korean stock market with the spare cash I had waiting.
Korean stocks, here’s to another good day
^^b Negotiation: the skill practitioners most want to learn. However long you’ve worked in B2B marketing or sales, the moment of negotiation still feels unfamiliar and tense.
The practitioners I met today said it too, often: “I never knew where to learn this kind of thing at work.”
Maybe that’s why?
It was impressive to see them listening closely to every example and every conversation technique.
Realistic simulations: practice over theory!
So this session didn’t end with slides alone.
We gave them a fictional negotiation scenario, split them into teams, and had them negotiate for real, balancing positions and underlying interests.
“I never realized how hard it is to truly consider the other side’s position.” “We seem to have only been used to pushing negotiations through.” It was vivid to see practitioners grasp the essence of negotiation only after experiencing it firsthand.
More than words
Listening: the real weapon in negotiation. Negotiation tends to bring “persuasion” to mind, but what I stressed most today was the power of listening.
In B2B deals especially, reading the customer’s demands and uncovering their hidden needs is what determines the direction of the negotiation.
“I remembered myself making proposals without even giving the other side a chance to speak.” This single remark captures the core of negotiation training.
Peer empathy deepened the session: about halfway through, participants were often sharing their own challenges and swapping stories from the field.
“We keep getting stuck in negotiations over similar terms on our side.” “In that case, don’t start with the terms; start with the people.” Practitioners working to put theory into real-world practice made the room even livelier.
Instructor and venue: a mutually respectful atmosphere. Every time I visit the Gyeonggi Business & Science Accelerator training venue,
It feels like “a place where both instructor and participants can focus comfortably.”
From the whiteboard position to the drinks and even the table spacing, the thoughtfulness stood out, and I have run a lot of practical training.
A thoughtful setting like this is what let me get through a full day of lecturing without burning out.
ETFs, AI, and putting spare cash to work. A bit personal, but during the relaxed lunch break I moved some idle funds from my account into an AI-related ETF.
When you wonder, “Is this the right time?”, don’t overthink it. Acting, even with a small amount, gives you peace of mind.
Today I feel I struck a pretty good balance between training and investing.
Quietly cheering on the Korean stock market.
Let’s go ^^b
