Negotiating Under Pressure

Oakwood x The Ops Con Academy

A practical one-day session on influence, persuasion and negotiation under pressure, led by a former UK Police Negotiator. Walk out able to hold your nerve, read the room and move decisions your way when the stakes are high.

About This Course

Negotiating Under Pressure is a highly practical one-day session delivered by a former UK Police Negotiator and Negotiator Trainer. You learn from someone who has done it for real, in situations where the outcome mattered. Negotiation is not a soft skill. It is the difference between a situation that escalates and one you bring back under control. Whether you are managing a difficult client, defusing a confrontation on a task, or sitting across from someone in crisis, the ability to influence calmly and think clearly under pressure is what separates a professional from an amateur. The morning builds your core toolkit: active listening, effective questioning, building rapport quickly, managing resistance and adapting how you communicate as pressure rises. The afternoon puts it to work. You apply the techniques across a series of realistic scenarios, from business disputes and workplace challenges to complex crisis situations, including negotiating during a kidnap and ransom incident. You leave having practised, not just listened. How you will use it: in client and stakeholder conversations, in team and workplace disputes, on the ground during live tasks, and in any moment where you need someone to say yes when the easy answer is no. These are transferable skills that hold up across close protection, security management, resilience and corporate roles. Why it matters to employers: professionals who can negotiate and de-escalate reduce risk, protect relationships and resolve problems before they turn into incidents. That is a capability worth hiring for and worth keeping on the team. Your certificate of participation is evidence you have trained in it directly with a former police negotiator. The session is designed for security and resilience professionals, crisis teams, and anyone required to influence decisions or negotiate in difficult circumstances. No prior experience needed. A collaboration between Oakwood Risk & Resilience and The Ops Con Academy. Designed and delivered by Oakwood, hosted by The Ops Con.