Gamification in negotiation skills training

Gamification in training and development has become an important element in corporate training, especially in sales teams. Negotiation skills training or development is very difficult. The theory of negotiation can be understood with a book, but in order to develop the skills is important to practice in as real an environment as possible. Developing negotiation skills requires constant and personalized feedback that enables students to correct mistakes and increase mastery.

That is why game-based learning is so usefull in this case.Traditionally, negotiation skills (as with other soft skills) are trained or developed in classroom, with an instructor presenting the theory and correcting students through role-plays and group dynamics exercises. Because of the time commitment needed and associated high costs, however, classroom instruction is less prevalent. Distance online training or e-learning, allows for easier implementation of training courses within companies.

In the context of soft skills development, this format is very limited. Aware of such limitations, many companies have implemented courses where gamification elements and simulation and, thereby, convert e-learning into high quality, practical and motivating learning experience trough the game-based learning.Gamification, is becoming a frequent term in HR and training departments, however, its definition is still not clear.

Gamification, regardless of how it is deployed, refers to the use of one or more of the following elements:

• The existence of goals and challenges, which are used to motivate and, if those goals are also an opportunity to win something, even more motivation
• The ability to attain different levels, which fosters participation and competitiveness between users
• Scores, which show the progress through the game
• Rankings, which indicate the relative position of the players and foster competition
• Rewards, which track the progress of players and recognize their efforts Gamification also implies the presentation of all these elements in a visually attractive way.

In Gamelearn, gamification is not just an element crafted onto negotiation training. Most important is the simulator the one that makes permits the skills being learned be practiced; gamification, in this context, motivates and engages, which is very important, but not the central feature, which is the game-based learning.