Negotiation Masterclass

What can business leaders learn from hostage negotiation?

Every business leader negotiates. Whether it’s with customers, suppliers, investors, or employees, some conversations are straightforward, and others carry pressure, emotion, and high stakes. 

This masterclass with Sue Williams QPM will explore what leaders can learn from the world of hostage and crisis negotiation, and how those principles apply to business conversations where trust, preparation, and judgement matter. 

Sue is internationally recognised as one of the world’s most experienced hostage and kidnap negotiators. A former senior detective at Scotland Yard, she was Officer in Charge of both the Kidnap and Hostage Crisis Negotiation Units, and now advises governments, NGOs, and global organisations on crisis response and negotiation strategy. She is also a Senior Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. 

In this session, Sue will share insights from her career in some of the most complex negotiation environments before translating the lessons into practical guidance for you. 

With many entrepreneurs facing longer sales cycles, slower decision-making, and more challenging conversations, the ability to negotiate well has never felt more important. But this will not be a conventional sales session. It is a rare opportunity to learn from someone whose work has involved ethical negotiation when the stakes could not be higher. Held under the Chatham House Rule, and with no recording, this masterclass will provide a private setting for an open and candid discussion you will need to be in the room to hear. 

The Conversation
Drawing on her experience, Sue will share: 

• What ethical negotiation looks like, and what happens when people get it wrong. 
• How to prepare properly before entering a negotiation. 
• Common negotiation pitfalls and mistakes leaders make under pressure. 
• How to create the right first impression. 
• The phases of negotiation, from relationship-building and communication to rapport, empathy, negotiation, and behavioural change. 
• How culture can shape communication and influence outcomes. 
• How to move conversations towards agreement and close effectively. 
• Lessons from crisis and hostage negotiation that can be applied in business. 
  
  

What You'll Take Away
You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how to perform in stressful environments and approach important conversations with more preparation, control, and confidence. This session will offer practical insight into building trust, reading situations more effectively, avoiding common mistakes, and moving negotiations towards a better outcome.

Whether you are trying to close a sale, manage a difficult conversation, secure investment, or resolve a conflict, this masterclass will give you a rare perspective on what it takes to negotiate well when the pressure is on. 

 

The Small Print
This event is for all members and partners of the Forum and will be held under Chatham House Rules, encouraging an open and honest conversation. Two guest places are available to ‘Ultimate’ and ‘Premium’ members - guests must be from your own company. 

Places are non-transferable. If you need to cancel, please let us know in advance so we can offer your place to someone else. 

We may share attendee names, job titles and companies with our event partners and other attendees, for networking purposes connected to this event. Should you wish to remove yourself from any delegate lists please let us know upon booking by emailing info@entrepreneursforum.net.