Preparation. Posture.
Closing.
Negotiation coaching for CEOs, founders and top executives — at executive level.
Negotiation at C-level is not tactics. It is architecture. We prepare you for the negotiations that change your trajectory — M&A, investor talks, board negotiations, stakeholder topics. Methodically deep: Harvard, Voss, Schranner. Personally prepared: language, posture, body, nervous system. You leave the negotiation with better outcomes — and with intact relationships.
Discreet · Values-based · Limited capacity · Executive level
What negotiation at executive level really is.
Architecture, not tactics.
IT IS ARCHITECTURE
At C-level, negotiation is not an exchange of blows. It is the conscious architecture of BATNAs, anchors, escalation steps and relational layers. Those who work with tactics win individual points. Those who work with architecture win strategically — and keep the relationship intact.
IT IS PHYSICAL
Negotiation happens on four levels at once: cognitive, linguistic, emotional, physical. Those prepared only cognitively fail in complex settings. We work on all four levels — nervous-system stability, linguistic precision, emotion regulation, embodiment.
IT IS VALUES-BASED
Manipulation works in the short term — and destroys relationships in the long term. We work values-based. You negotiate clearly, fairly and with substance. You come out better than if you had used tactics — and you keep your integrity.
Most negotiation trainings concentrate on tactics. How do I negotiate better? How do I set anchors? How do I exploit my counterpart’s cognitive biases? These questions are not wrong — but they are superficial.
Negotiation at executive level works by different rules. It is rarely about single deals — it is about relational systems. Investors, co-founders, board members, M&A partners are not just negotiation counterparts for an hour, but often long-term stakeholders. Those who win their negotiations tactically can lose strategically.
We work methodically deep — on the basis of the Harvard method (Fisher/Ury — Getting to Yes), Chris Voss (Never Split the Difference, FBI negotiator practice), Matthias Schranner (Schranner Negotiation Institute, DACH standard). We combine these methods with embodiment work (how you are physically present), language coaching (how you pause, frame, ask), nervous-system regulation (how you stay stable under pressure).
Format: Sprint (4 weeks before an important negotiation), Build (8 weeks for structural negotiation competence), Retainer (continuous guidance through several negotiation phases).
The result: you leave negotiations with measurably better outcomes — and with relationships that are stronger after the negotiation than before.
For whom — and in which settings.
Specific. Clear. Bilateral.
- ✓CEOs ahead of M&A negotiations or takeover settings
- ✓Founders ahead of Series-A to Series-C investor talks
- ✓C-level ahead of board negotiations or supervisory-board settings
- ✓Entrepreneurs in handover negotiations
- ✓Senior executives in complex stakeholder settings
- ✓Leaders in crisis negotiations (restructuring, supply chains, personnel)
- ✕Those expecting manipulation techniques
- ✕Those who see negotiation as a pure game
- ✕Those who treat values-fit as negotiable
- ✕Those without a mandate to lead the negotiation themselves
- ✕Those wanting more operational consulting than methodical depth
We work values-based. We bring sharpness — but no tricks. If you are looking for a manipulation toolbox, we are not the right partner. If you want sustainable negotiation strength, we are exactly right.
Six typical negotiation occasions.
The most common settings in which we prepare top decision-makers.
M&A NEGOTIATIONS
Buy-side or sell-side. Earn-out structures, valuation discussions, term-sheet negotiations, due-diligence phases. We prepare you for every phase — strategically, linguistically, personally.
INVESTOR TALKS
Pre-Seed to Series C, bootstrap financings, family-office investments. We work on pitch architecture, term-sheet negotiation, dilution mathematics, relationship-building with strategic investors.
BOARD AND ADVISORY-BOARD NEGOTIATIONS
Strategy decisions, budget negotiations, personnel topics, compensation packages. We work on the architecture of negotiations that take place in complex stakeholder settings.
HANDOVER NEGOTIATIONS
Generational transitions, family structures, buyer–seller dynamics. We accompany both sides — the one who is leaving and the one who is taking over — through one of the psychologically most complex forms of negotiation.
CRISIS NEGOTIATIONS
Restructurings, supplier conflicts, personnel disputes, bank meetings under pressure. Here, the ability to lead clearly under stress matters — physically, linguistically, strategically.
STAKEHOLDER NEGOTIATIONS
Co-founder disputes, partner conflicts, difficult customer matters, agency settings. Relational-system architecture matters more here than short-term points.
Six pillars, one architecture.
How we prepare top decision-makers for executive negotiations.
PREPARATION & BATNA ARCHITECTURE
BATNA, ZOPA, anchor setting, concession plan, escalation steps. Before you negotiate, you know your architecture inside out. Preparation is 80% of the negotiation.
STAKEHOLDER MAPPING
Who is at the table — and who is sitting behind it? Who decides — and who influences? We map the entire negotiation system, not only the negotiation partners.
LANGUAGE & FRAMING
How you open, how you pause, how you reformulate, how you say no, how you set frames. The language of a top negotiator is their most important tool.
PHYSICAL PRESENCE
Posture, breath, gaze, micro-expression, occupying space. We work on physical presence — before you speak, your body communicates.
NERVOUS-SYSTEM STABILITY
Negotiations are pressure settings. Those negotiating from sympathetic over-arousal make worse decisions. We build your nervous-system stability — physically, methodically, with polyvagal theory.
CLOSING ARCHITECTURE
The last 10% of a negotiation often decide success. We work on closing strategy, agreement documentation, post-closing relationship stabilisation.
Three examples from real negotiation preparation.
Anonymized. No logos. With substance.
“I thought I needed better arguments. I needed a different architecture.”
Series-B negotiation with three lead investors in parallel. 4-week sprint. BATNA build, pitch sharpening, term-sheet architecture, embodiment work. Negotiation successfully closed — valuation 30% above the first investor indication, term sheet shifted in his favour, relationship intact.
“I was emotional. That would have cost me millions.”
Sale of a family business. 8-week build. Stakeholder mapping, value conversation, earn-out architecture, nervous-system stability in the final negotiation phase. Sale successful, with a significantly higher earn-out component and a clean handover architecture.
“Bank talks under pressure. Three banks in parallel. I was about to escalate everything.”
Restructuring with three bank partners. 6 weeks of guidance. Preparation for each individual negotiation, reflection after each meeting, nervous-system work between sessions. Restructuring successfully closed — terms holding, credit lines preserved, trust with banks strengthened rather than damaged.
The sources we build on.
Method meets practice. Depth is mandatory.
Negotiation coaching without a methodical foundation is gut-feeling consulting. We work on a different level.
From the Harvard method: Roger Fisher and William Ury (Getting to Yes), Bruce Patton, the entire Harvard Negotiation Project. Principled negotiation, separation of person and issue, BATNA concept.
From FBI practice: Chris Voss (Never Split the Difference), tactical empathy, mirroring, label techniques, calibrated questions. Translated from hostage negotiation into business reality.
From DACH practice: Matthias Schranner (Schranner Negotiation Institute), negotiation architecture under pressure, difficult negotiation partners.
From M&A practice: Bill Aulet (Disciplined Entrepreneurship), Brad Feld (Venture Deals), practical experience with DACH M&A negotiations.
From embodiment research: Amy Cuddy (power posing used critically), Vanessa Bohns (Influence), physical presence in high-stakes settings.
From nervous-system research: Stephen Porges (polyvagal theory) for stability under pressure, Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) for regulation.
From language research: George Lakoff (framing), classical rhetoric, modern coaching linguistics.
We combine these sources pragmatically — and translate them into your specific negotiation reality.
Where we work.
Salzburg · Munich · Zurich · Innsbruck + 150 km.
Salzburg, Munich, Zurich and Innsbruck as the corner points of the magical DACH triangle, a radius of around 150 kilometres. Beyond the triangle worldwide as a retainer — securely remote or with targeted on-site phases. Values-fit remains standard, discretion remains absolute, the impact region remains focused.
SALZBURG
Home hub. Salzkammergut. Meeting space.
MUNICH
Bavaria’s economic powerhouse. Tech, manufacturing, finance.
ZURICH
DACH financial and family-office centre.
INNSBRUCK
Centre of the impact triangle. Tyrolean depth, alpine clarity.
Investment levels.
Three levels. One architecture.
Preparation for one specific, important negotiation.
Structural negotiation competence for several settings.
Continuous guidance through an M&A phase, investor round or restructuring.
GOLD+ — Invite Only. Long-term guidance over several negotiation cycles. In confidential conversation.
Related deep topics.
If negotiation leadership is your lever, these areas may also be relevant.
Hub: Business Coaching DACH
The complete overview of all 25 topic clusters.
Learn more →Executive Coaching
Clarity at C-level. State, identity, behavior, impact.
Learn more →Burnout Prevention
Structural stability before the system breaks down.
Learn more →CEO & Founder Mentoring
Deep, long-term guidance for founders and solo CEOs.
Learn more →Career Realignment
From top level to the next path — cleanly accompanied.
Learn more →Succession & Handover
Family businesses and SMEs in generational change.
Learn more →Team Coaching
High-performance teams in growth, change or crisis.
Learn more →Excellence Architecture
Fine-tuning for the top 0.1% — diamond class.
Learn more →Ready for negotiations that really matter?
No pressure. No sales pitch. A confidential first conversation — to see whether and how we can prepare you for your next negotiation.
→ Confidential first conversation on gottwald.worldValues-fit required · Discretion standard · Limited capacity