Master in International Sales Management & Negotiation Program

The course will be made of a mix of theory delivered to the students and application exercises, with at least one main role play per day. Those will be based on realistic scenarios and enable participants to practice negotiation in real-life settings. Extended class discussions will be used to guarantee appropriation of the course concepts and the creation of linkages with the participants’ own experiences. Main objectives are to understand the basics of principled or integrative bargaining strategies and differentiate them from distributive negotiation strategies; apply the processes unveiled in the class role play scenarios to real-life negotiations, perceived as all processes aiming for mutually beneficial outcomes and the creation / maintaining of long term relationships; conceptualize the ins-and-outs of negotiation and apply these concepts into planning and preparing all kinds of professional negotiations; understand the communication processes taking place at and around the negotiation table; and identify the variables in the negotiation process which make principled negotiation possible, especially the key behavioural characteristics of the players.

At the end of the course the students should be able to:

Breakdown complex negotiation problems using the appropriate methodology.

Propose creative solutions within a negotiation.

Appraise the performance of a negotiation team.

Make effectual negotiation decisions.

Demonstrate an expertise on key concepts, techniques and trends in negotiation.

Formulate strategically-appropriate solutions to complex and unfamiliar challenges in negotiation.

The course is a combination of class lectures, practical assignments, simulations, and class discussions. At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Define social dilemmas and their underlying dynamics

Define the basic assumptions of behavioural game theory

Define the main decision-making biases and how to deal with them

Understand the boundaries of ‘rational man’

Link findings from game and decision-making literature to negotiations

This intensive course will cover different topics, including an introduction to conflict management and reflections about one’s positioning in conflict, whether as a party or a neutral. It will focus on the mediation’s process, ethics and applications. During each session, students will be placed in various conflict and conflict resolution settings and experience being a party or a neutral in various contexts (commercial and interpersonal conflicts). They will then have to provide feedback about each other’s performance and to discuss their experience in group. At the end of each session, a theoretical wrap-up will be provided with the key take-aways.

Understand what mediation is (a process through which a neutral third party assists parties in negotiating a mutually satisfying settlement to an ongoing or pending conflict) and when to use it

Master a structured conflict resolution process that can be applied in interpersonal and commercial disputes, with different phases, tools and skills (e.g. communication, conflict analysis)

Be able to diagnose conflict in order to better manage it

Identify one’s individual behaviours in various conflict settings

Practice principled negotiation and be an efficient party in dispute

Be an actor in conflict prevention and early resolution in commercial as well as interpersonal difficulties

To put Negotiations, especially diplomatic negotiations, in their historical context, as well as to trace back in time the very notion of Negotiation itself. The student should be able, based on expert knowledge from crosscutting information, to explain how the word “Diplomat” was created, how it emerged and how it diverged from that of “Negotiator”. The knowledge of various past negotiation cases helps students to build innovative solutions for today’s organisations. Furthermore, the student should be able to take a given historical example and extract from it the key negotiation concepts hidden in the idiosyncrasies of the case. He or she should be able to apply the neg. specialized knowledge to explain the success or failure of past or contemporary negotiation cases

At the end of the course the students should be able to:

Develop individual capability to collaborate with other team members in a inter-cultural environment.

Convey information through presentation to engage audience in knowledge exhanges.

Act and react in a dynamic context to adapt to differences and to create innovative change as a change-maker.

Utilise challenges as opportunities by generating strategic approaches to manage complexity.

This course focuses on exploring the personal characteristics of the negotiator. Personal characteristics and attitudes can be strengths and weaknesses in a negotiation. These characteristics are to a certain extent fixed and they can entail a danger when they are opposed to the characteristics of the counterparty. However, by becoming aware of our strengths we can manage them. A good negotiator facilitates a constructive relation by understanding his or her personal characteristics and the ones of the counterparty.

Understand how the law of contracts functions in commercial negotiations and relationships in order to negotiate more effectively, to anticipate contract-related problems and to know when and how to liaise with legal counsel. In particular, students should: Have a practical understanding of the legal system. Understand the purpose, basic legal elements and terms of a contract and understand how contracts are made. Be familiar with the legal framework for contracts. Identify an unenforceable contract and understand the legal remedies in the event of a dispute.

The main aims and objectives of this course are:

Introduce ideas useful in the analysis of organizational processes and change

Encourage critical thought about organizations and the events that occur within them

Identify the need to develop a change approach which is context-specific to organisations

Develop an appreciation of how theories can be translated into practical applications

Identify and critically assess the best practices of change management and change implementation

Stimulate critical consideration of organizations as social and political communities

Build the managerial and personal skills required by successful change agents

Develop students’ investigative and diagnostic skills in assessing organisations

Extend students’ abilities to comprehend and analyse internally planned and externally imposed organisational changes

Improve students’ abilities to manage people in the context of change

Gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of leadership.

Understand how the function of leadership evolved over time, based on societal and industrial evolutions.

Further his/her knowledge of current leadership thinking based on state of the art research.

Define the core elements of effective leadership.

Recognize his/her own leadership style, it strengths and pitfalls.

Connect the function of leadership with overall HR roles, as well as corporate strategy execution.

Carry out effective leadership behaviors in various contexts.

Challenge him/herself and peers to further develop their leadership skills.

Make smart judgments in managerial decision making.

Integrate economic, legal, and ethical perspectives in his/her leadership.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Evaluate the nature and rigour of project management and apply skills in the project management processes.

Appraise the performance of a team.

Apply problem solving, analytical skills and master project management tools and methods.

Breakdown complex organizational problems using the appropriate methodology.

Apply the economics of project management for planning, scheduling and budgeting.

Evaluate resources available to the project manager to keep current with trends and best practices.

Demonstrate an expertise on key concepts, techniques and trends in their professional field.

Organize change management processes.

Evaluate sustainability goals and measures into the project management process.

The course aims to establish a broad understanding of accounting and financial statements. Essentially, you will go deeper in the individual elements of doing business, such as making a sale or building an inventory. This will provide the grounds for sound decision-making, and guide your business objectives for what needs to be achieved on the negotiation table.

The course focuses on how workers and managers face negotiations at collective and individual level. The behaviour, preparation process, and strategies during the negotiation will be discussed. The course will also elaborate on how to create room for cooperation using learning by doing methodology. This will provide the students self-confidence when negotiating in the workplace.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to: The contents are focused on how culture influences negotiation strategy. The goal of this course is to prepare students to manage successful international business, most of the advice is research based. It benefits from the cultural diversity in the classroom to illustrate how cultural assumptions influence deal making, dispute resolution and multiparty negotiation strategy.The course is based on experiential exercises (simulations) and debriefings. Each exercise helps students develop their analytic, strategic, and negotiating skills in the cross-cultural setting. In the debriefings, we analyse the results of the negotiations and discuss strategies that worked and strategies that didn’t. The course offers an opportunity, not available in the real world, to see both the other side’s outcome and the outcomes of others who negotiated the same facts. Thus, the course provides an unparalleled opportunity for learning.

Develop the skills needed for effective negotiations

Understand the historical origins, enlargement and future development of the EU

Understand the EU decision-making process

This course aims to transfer the main logics and methodologies of the principal HRM tools in an international context: planning, recruitment and selection, training, appraisal systems and compensation. The organisational development policies and practices are explained and discussed crosswise in relation to the development of each HRM tool. For all sessions, critical issues and problems related to the practical applications in the international context of the HR operational systems are identified and examined in order to enhance a pragmatic approach.

At the end of the course the students should be able to:

Breakdown complex organizational problems using the appropriate communication: put effective, collaborative methods of leadership and negotiation to work in their organizations;

Develop their own leadership skills and personal influence, as well as apply innovative negotiation

Strategies to deal with tough problems and cross-border challenges in an effective manner;

Propose creative solutions within an organization: create and apply powerful strategies to improve influence in global negotiations to reach agreements;

Generate sustainable solutions for organizations: create and apply negotiation strategies and decision making principles to solve problems effectively;

To operate in an ethical and responsible manner while be aware of one’s leadership style; create high-performance negotiation teams;

Increase returns through effective management of key customers.

Key Customer Relationship Management (KAM) is a hugely important development in business-to-business selling and relationship management. It require re-thinking your approach to sales due to the evolving nature and challenges in today’s sales environments and competitive markets.

The course covers eight key areas of KCRM:

1. World Class Key Account Management

2. Selecting and Categorising Key Customers

3. The Customer Analysis Toolkit

4. Completing a 9 box SWOT

5. Relationship Mapping

6. Developing Value Propositions

7. Customer Profitability and Measuring Success

8. The Role of the Key Account Manager and the Key Account Team

This course is an introduction to selling techniques and negotiation. It provides the student with a “tool box” including the most commonly used sales techniques in a company. It leans upon proven methods recognized in most large companies.At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Control the basic techniques of a sales meeting and its different phases: face to face meeting, making appointments on the phone

Tackle the sales environment

Identify the different commercial roles and their evolution

Reveal relational skills, linked with the relationship with the customer

The sales function is one of the most important marketing functions as it is responsible for generating revenue. However, it does not work in isolation from other functions. This course provides the student with not only an understanding of the sales function’s role within a holistic marketing framework but also focuses upon better sales management practices and those attributes that characterise the best salespeople. This course focuses on the activities and problems of first line field sales managers. Emphasis is balanced between theory (e.g., motivation) and skills building (e.g., personal selling, territory routing).

Negotiations happen on a daily basis both internally and externally. Especially within globalization, the challenges of ethical conduct create complex negotiations. In order to remain ethical, the profound understanding of self and other perspectives in core values is the foundation. Explore one’s epistemology and systemic thought processes will be the fundamental tools for effective negotiations where all sides have the possibility of achieving its goals. This course will not only provide the foundation knowledge necessary to be systemic thinkers, but also the skills to effectively navigate complex cultural issues in ethical negotiations.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Classify a differentiated purchasing portfolio LO5C.

Apply various management approaches related to the risk and profit assessment of the sales offer.

Understand the advantages and consequences of different purchasing techniques.

Control for strategic purchases.

Differentiate direct and indirect purchases.

Have a clear overview of the buying process linked to the selling process.

Define buyer enablement.

Successfully collaborate within a intercultural team.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Understand tradeoffs and main challenges in coordinating supply chains.

Construct expert knowledge from cutting-edge information to improve supply chain performance.  

Analyze, breakdown and solve complex managerial problems in supply chains with the appropriate methodology.

Analyze, breakdown and solve complex managerial problems in supply chains with the appropriate methodology.

Work in a team and autonomously on formulating efficient solutions to various problems that supply chains face under uncertainty and unfamiliar challenges.

Generate sustainable solutions to supply chains.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Understand the concept, drivers, and outcomes of customer centricity in B2B relationships.

Explore the role of salespeople as advocates of customer success management in the vendor firm.

Understand and apply sales techniques that help salespeople to successfully manage their customer relationships.

Investigate B2B buyer behavior to better understand how salespeople can meet their needs.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

Apply mediation skills in conflict situations. 

Generate the parties’ issues, interests and needs as well as effectively work with creativity. prior to negotiating solutions. 

Differentiate between different styles of mediation and critically assess their differences and similarities. 

Understand the role of lawyers and others who attend the mediation session with the parties and be able to include them in the mediation process. 

Know when to use separate meetings and do so appropriately. 

In this module participants will understand the novel ways by which digital marketing tools enhance the sales process. Topics pertaining to understand the impact of running digital marketing campaigns on key sales related metrics will be discussed in this course. Furthermore, understanding the use of sales software and the corresponding metrics to manage customer relationships will be discussed.

At the end of the course the students should be able to:

Understand research terminology.

Describe quantitative and qualitative approaches to research.

Critically analyse published research.

Develop a scientific, intellectual, and critical mindset.

The course is designed to immerse students into the daily life of business consultants working for an ERP implementation company. Through interactive lectures, group assignments, and the intervention of four expert professionals, this course confronts students with the diverse expectations, tasks, and challenges functional consultants need to tackle. Combining theoretical concepts with hands-on exercises on a hypothetical business case, participants are expected to acquire knowledge on and experience with ERP deliverables and domains (i.e., Microsoft Dynamics 365), workflow design for top-level business processes (i.e.., Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash), project management activities, and functional consulting analysis tools (e.g., XMind, Bizagi).Description to come.

*(2 courses to be chosen among “Business Consultancy in a Digital Environment”, “Leading for Creativity and Design Thinking” or “Strategic People Management”)

Creativity is one of the critical components of an organization’s ability to survive and thrive in today’s competitive and dynamic markets. This course will provide participants with a rich understanding of how creativity can be facilitated and managed in a work setting. They will acquire knowledge regarding various theoretical conceptualizations (i.e., how do you define creativity), antecedents (i.e., what makes you and others more creative) and outcomes (i.e., what is the impact) of creativity as well as knowledge on design thinking techniques and tools to lead teams in the creative journey. How do creative ideas happen? How can we foster our creativity and the creativity of those around us? What are the paths of creative development of individuals who are successful in their creative endeavours? What are the implications for fostering and managing creativity in the workplace? What are the obstacles to creativity? What is the nature of creativity in teams and organizations? These are some of the questions we will address. During the course, a variety of teaching and learning techniques will be used to enable participants to think critically and imaginatively about various perspectives of creativity. To realize the goal of a shared learning experience between participants and the instructor, the course is aimed at integrating real challenges and practical experiences of creativity, projects, presentations, experiential exercises, and critical reflection on the various course materials. Description to come.

*(2 courses to be chosen among “Business Consultancy in a Digital Environment”, “Leading for Creativity and Design Thinking” or “Strategic People Management”)

Description to come.Description to come.

*(2 courses to be chosen among “Business Consultancy in a Digital Environment”, “Leading for Creativity and Design Thinking” or “Strategic People Management”)

Our Career Program helps participants to establish their professional career plan by working on their skills, personal strengths, and using networking tools to be prepared to meet recruiters’ expectations internationally.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

Build a professional career plan;

Identify personal skills and accumulated experiences (e.g., Master experience);

Adapt professional tools (e.g., CV, LinkedIn) to the local market;

Develop an accurate representation of their professional profile;

Use personal networking to better identify professional opportunities;

Gain insight into techniques and tools to find a job or an internship in France or abroad;

Build self-awareness of personal vocations and interests.

Learn more about the Career Program

This course provides participants with a profound understanding on entrepreneurship, new business development, and business plan writing. Through lectures, testimonials, field-work, and group assignments, participants are confronted with the how, where, when, whom, and why of starting and developing new business activities. As part of an international and multicultural team, participants are invited to work on an operational business plan aimed at either the creation of a new venture (NVC-track) or the acceleration of new business for an already established SME (NBD-track). This course’s ambitions thus go beyond providing theoretical insights. Hands-on experience is gained through out-of-class field work covering all steps of the entrepreneurial decision-making process (e.g., idea generation, feasibility analysis, industry study, market analysis, marketing plan, production plan, product development, and financial statements). In doing so, participants accumulate entrepreneurial knowledge and behaviours that support innovative solutions and new value development.

French language lessons for all levels are included in the program for international students. French is the mandatory choice for all non-French speaking students.
For French speaking students, other languages will be offered, and credited as well (Chinese, Spanish, German – list subject to change).

Capstone Project: 4-to 6-month internship or work experience anywhere in the world. Alternatively, students can opt for a consulting project or a thesis.