When EPIC, Everest, or Vasco calls: win the alliance game
Your local negotiation playbook just became obsolete. International buying alliances are coordinating data, pressure tactics and strategies that leave most FMCG suppliers scrambling.
The alliance trap: why traditional negotiation
fails
Your biggest retail customer just announced they are now part of EPIC, Everest, AgeCore, Eureca, Eurelec, Vasco, EMD or Coopernic. These alliances are not just reshuffling the rules, they are rewriting the entire game with coordinated strategy, shared data and synchronised pressure tactics across markets. Most FMCG suppliers lose alliance negotiations not because they lack negotiation skills, but because they are still negotiating like it is 2015: in fragments, while the alliance plays a synchronised game across all markets.
- Using local market tactics against a coordinated international approach
- Treating each market separately while alliances share your data across borders
- Relying on historical relationships that alliance structures have just neutralised
- Fighting battles in isolation while competitors align with alliance dynamics
Our answer
How Impact Negotiation Group levels the playing field
We don’t teach general negotiation skills. We help commercial leaders decode alliance behaviour and build strategies that work in the new reality.
Two proven approaches
Consulting and workshop support for alliance negotiations
1. Buying alliance negotiation consulting
Expert support when the stakes are highest.
When you are preparing for negotiations with a buying alliance, our consulting support offers targeted, practical guidance. We help shape strategy, align stakeholders across functions and markets, and support decision-making at each critical stage.
Our approach improves internal coordination, reduces risk and strengthens your ability to respond effectively to alliance tactics.
Consulting services include
- Strategic diagnosis of alliance structure and leverage points
- Mapping complex stakeholder dynamics: procurement vs. operations vs. C-suite
- War room planning and scenario modelling
- Cross-functional stakeholder alignment across markets
- Playbook and counter-tactics development
- Senior advisor participation in internal negotiation rehearsals
Who we work with
- General Managers, Commercial Directors and VPs facing alliance pressure
- International Key Account Directors managing international retailers
- Negotiation leads coordinating across central and local markets
- Finance, revenue management and strategy teams
2. Strategic negotiation planning workshop
Equip your teams with alliance-specific strategies.
Our 2-day Strategic Negotiation Planning Workshop is designed for senior commercial leaders facing the complexity of buying alliances. It develops your team’s ability to craft well-aligned strategies across borders and to prepare for high-leverage negotiations with clarity and control.
Training outcomes
- Choose your position: understand when to stand with the group and when to isolate, depending on alliance strategy
- Adapt to alliance types: distinguish between top-investment, term-comparison and centralised buying alliances and adjust your approach
- Build a unified strategy: align central and local teams to present consistent, defensible positions
- Understand internal dynamics: gain insight into how alliances make decisions and influence outcomes
- Balance objectives: navigate between short-term wins and long-term strategic priorities
- Strengthen internal cohesion: break silos across countries and functions
Workshop format
- Duration: 1 to 2 days depending on requirements and audience
- Audience: up to 12 senior leaders
- Location: on-site or off-site
- Includes: proprietary negotiation planning toolkit, real-world alliance case studies, hands-on cross-border alignment exercises
Real results from real clients
Why Impact
We’re not a general training company. We’re alliance negotiation specialists.
We’re senior negotiation consultants who have negotiated billions in high-stakes deals. We understand the psychology of alliance decisions, the politics of cross-border dynamics and the art of maintaining margins under coordinated pressure.
Proven alliance experience, not generic training
We’ve been in your position facing alliance pressure. We’ve developed strategies that work against coordinated tactics.
Strategic intelligence, not just negotiation skills
We help you understand alliance behaviour and build responses that shape outcomes before formal negotiations begin.
Commercial obsession
Every recommendation is tested against one question: does this strengthen your position against alliance coordination and protect your business value?
FAQ
Alliance negotiation questions answered
We’re only happy, when you’re happy
With these experts, you can be sure you have thought of everything and are best prepared for your negotiations. This will give you confidence for the future.
Having worked with the team at Impact Negotiation Group over the past two years, I’ve found them to be incredibly knowledgeable, responsive, and a pleasure to work with.
Very good nego training. I have learned a lot; tactics, how to behave, to not be in a competitive mindset.
Absolutely powerful and valuable training. Applicable in most of the aspects in your life
Interesting, fast-paced and lot of pratical examples.
Very useful, high intensity
10 out of 10! Do it it’s a very good training with real examples
This is ROI positive and therefore a must for senior sales
Nice full and rich program, with humor and great balance between theory and practice!
Highly recommendable and a great training to learn guidelines and tricks about negos. Trainers with a lot of expertise.
Ready to take control of the alliance game?
Whether you’re building long-term capability or preparing for a critical negotiation, we can help. Contact us to book an in-house strategic negotiation planning workshop, to explore a tailored consulting engagement for an active alliance negotiation, or to request a diagnostic session that identifies your alliance negotiation risks and opportunities.
Or call us directly: