Les Négociales: The art of negotiation

The négotiation contest: A stepping stone for the students

Les Négociales has been running for a decade and is aimed at future sales professionals. This challenge allows them to test their negotiating skills and at the end of the competition: the opportunity to be noticed by recruiters and to land a job. Les Négociales takes place from October to March in 43 qualification centres throughout France, including the ICD Business School campus, the official qualification centre. 
Before passing in front of a jury, the candidates discover the subject proposed by the participating companies and have time to study. Throughout their studies, our students of the Bachelor ICD Business Development course are coached by Ron EVRET, trainer and coach in negotiation and alumni of the ICD Business School for several years. Ron shares his experience of the competition as a former finalist.

Interview

Ron EVRET: "The pedagogy of ICD Business School, which is based on both discovery and experience, enhances the relevance of holding the competition within the school.”

Who are you? And what do you do?

I am Ron EVRET, a business director and a teacher of negotiation at the ICD since 2015 on the Bachelor Business Development, Bachelor Event Management, Programme Grande Ecole, Bachelor Digital & Business Strategy and Intensive Programme. 

At the same time, every year I help the students of the school in their preparation for the national competition "Les Négociales", in close collaboration with the ICD Business School teams who organise the event every year. 

Why is "Les Négociales" taking over the ICD campus?

For more than a decade, ICD Business School has been a leading partner and qualification centre for Les Négociales, the most important Francophone negotiation competition for post-secondary students. 

This unique 30-year-old competition gathers the best aspiring salespeople by providing them with the opportunity to be confronted with case studies, all evaluated by real professionals. The objective? To nominate the best negotiator in France! 
Candidates have 10 minutes to convince their interviewers on the basis of documents and, in particular, on their own skills, acquired during their training at school and/or in the field during work experience and sandwich courses. 

The IGS Group's pedagogy, founded on discovery and experience, enhances the relevance of holding the competition within the school. Each year, many ICD students reach the top of the rankings with a victory and a second place in the final. The work undertaken to promote the competition by the group's teams is considerable and it is important to acknowledge their investment. 

"Les Négociales" has been held at ICD BS for several years, why do they carry on every year?

The Négociales competition is an extraordinary challenge for learners who wish to progress in the sales field. It is also a valuable teaching instrument that allows them to be faced with the "reality" of a business meeting. 

Students can therefore improve their knowledge of the subject, gain valuable advice following their visit and, for the most talented, offers of internships and work experience. It is an exceptional experience for candidates, who can learn as much about themselves in one single day as they would in a whole year of negotiation classes! Furthermore, ICD Business School has chosen to offer a disruptive learning experience in negotiation for the Bachelor Business Development programme. The students follow a specific training within the Nego Lab, a pedagogical activity of the Bachelor that I supervise and which trains them in the art of Negotiation from the 1st to the 3rd year and whose conclusion is the participation in the Négociales. 

The acquired experience through this competition is precious and is valued in companies. Indeed, each year numerous recruiters participate as juries particularly to identify commercial profiles. 

The COVID-19 has profoundly impacted the global and national Economy. Now more than ever, firms are looking for talent capable of breaking new ground and reaching out to new markets. As a business owner, I can only recommend that students take the journey. 

Professional feedback

The most valuable benefits of participating in the competition are the visibility with professionals and a positive reference for those who succeed in standing out during the qualifying rounds, and a job may therefore be on the cards. 

ICD Business School is grateful to professionals in the sector such as Ron EVRET for enabling its students to achieve the top of the rankings each year in this journey which is not only pedagogical but also a human one.