Why Negotiation Training Is Essential in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
As industries evolve, challenges arise. The Consumer Packaged Goods industry is no exception. Retailers continue to become more sophisticated in their practices and processes, and CPG players need to be ready to adapt and bring their best to the table.
At The Maker Group, we equip negotiators in the consumer packaged goods industry with the tools and strategies they need to go up against retailers’ increasing demands and capabilities.
Our Maker Framework helps CPG manufacturers successfully adapt their strategies to a progressively adversarial retail climate and change their account management models.
The Maker Group: Negotiation Training for the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
We are a team of experienced commercial negotiators who have serviced some of the largest companies in the world. We understand your challenges and can provide innovative solutions to the issues faced by your CPG negotiators today.
Our mission is to deliver value and drive profitability through our bespoke negotiation training solutions for the consumer packaged goods industry. We will help you achieve your objectives through our proven, practical methodology and modern-day behavioral techniques.
By focusing on current trends in the CPG industry, our team of experts will help you shape your negotiation strategy to maximize the joint business planning process and become problem solvers and innovators.
We’ll help your CPG company get back in the game with areas of focus that include:
- Customer alignment and collaboration
- Data Analytics
- Strategic prioritizing
- Process and infrastructure
- Planning and execution
All of our training workshops are experiential — your CPG negotiation and sales team will learn by doing. This hands-on approach is aimed at developing skills through challenging exercises, in-depth case studies, and retraining the brain to embrace the new, digital era in the CPG industry.
We believe in challenging participants to think outside of the box and make decisions outside of their comfort zone. Engaging with each participant on an individual level, creating a personalized learning journey, and allowing participants to learn from their mistakes are what drive lasting results — all while sharpening critical negotiation skills.
A technology-first approach is a driving force behind our training solutions. Our proprietary Maker Framework has been created to encourage negotiators to adapt to today’s hybrid work environment. Whether you choose between our virtual or in-person sessions, the experience is the same.
For more information or to register for negotiation training for the consumer packaged goods industry, contact us today.
The Maker Group — we make good, great.
4 Ways The Maker Group Can Help CPG Negotiators Improve Their Negotiation Strategies
As the retailer-CPG manufacturer relationship becomes more challenging and CPG negotiators are expected to bend to demands, negotiators must adjust processes and build a lasting infrastructure to stay ahead of the game.
#1: Redirect the Focus
In many cases, CPG negotiators are ill-equipped to adapt to these changes. Account managers and salespeople who would normally have relied on relationships with buyers aren’t prepared for the advanced analytics and data retailers use today.
Effective negotiation training is required to prepare negotiators to respond to ultimatums or financial demands. CPG negotiators must rethink how they have partnered with retailers in the past and focus on overhauling their account management process by upgrading individual negotiator capabilities.
#2: Upgrade Your Current Account Management Model
Basic account management models in CPG tend to share many similarities.
However, CPG negotiators need to ensure that investments are allocated wisely. This may require an upgrade to your current account management model.
Restructuring requires experience and expert negotiation knowledge, which is where The Maker Group comes in. Through our negotiation training for the consumer packaged goods industry, your transition from an outdated account management model to a customer portfolio management model will be seamless.
#3: Support the Infrastructure
Supporting the infrastructure of your new account management model is an intrinsic step toward evolving and should include a powerful training program that supports strategic capability building and individual learning opportunities.
CPG companies should always be analyzing their content and delivery formats and negotiation training approaches.
Investing in negotiation training for the consumer packaged goods industry is key to a successful transition from antiquated modalities that just aren’t working anymore to the current environment of big data and analytics in retail.
#4: Embrace Collaboration
Joint business planning is an essential step toward strengthening and nurturing partnerships between CPG manufacturers and retailers. CPG negotiators must become better collaborators and possess a partner mindset.
CPG account teams and negotiators have a greater opportunity to become problem solvers for retailers. With frequent and open communication, CPG negotiators should aim to gain a deeper understanding of the concerns and priorities of each client.
Initiating a dedicated negotiation training program is essential for the growth of any CPG company. The Maker Group can help your company identify capability-building opportunities that will support the restructuring of your current account management model.
FAQs About Negotiations In the CPG Industry
With the growth of e-commerce and hard-discount retailers, the pressure is on CPG negotiators to expand their offerings while delivering low-cost solutions.
How Can The Maker Group Help CPG Companies Overcome Specific Industry Challenges Through Negotiation Training?
The Maker Group offers varying levels of training and consulting specifically geared toward meeting your company’s needs.
Whether you’re new to the game or a veteran company in need of an overhaul, The Maker Group can help you achieve your goals with our “from the ground up” training solutions.
We’ll schedule introductory and exploratory calls with your key stakeholders and managers to uncover all of the challenges your industry and company faces.
The unique issues of the CPG industry can be easily overcome with the appropriate negotiation strategies and planning.
How Much Time Will My Company Need to Dedicate to Negotiation Training?
All of our training solutions are customized to meet the unique challenges of your company and then structured to fit into a one or two-day training that can be accomplished in person or virtually. But the learning doesn’t stop there.
Using our proprietary Maker Framework, we’ll establish a set of negotiation guidelines that can help your negotiators continue to evolve with industry changes.
Whether it’s through data analytics, omnichannel marketing, or a focus on DTC sales, your negotiators will have access to the most potent negotiation strategies even after the training is done.
Why Should I Choose The Maker Group Over the Dozens of Other Negotiation Training Companies Out There?
We don’t believe in cookie-cutter solutions to any problem. However, we do believe in our practical and proven methodology that utilizes modern-day behavioral psychology to help negotiators overcome CPG industry challenges.
Our mission is to provide every single training participant with a unique learning journey that will speak to their individual skills and abilities. We’ll focus on igniting the passion and drive of every negotiator on your team while instilling the confidence needed to become invaluable partners to your retailers.
Negotiation training is essential in equipping CPG negotiators with the current tools and strategies to strengthen relationships with their retailers — and the experienced negotiators at The Maker Group are the right people for the job.
Click here to schedule your consultation with The Maker Group.