The Aligned
‍Strategic Framework

The human-centered system that turns any negotiation into a structured, strategic conversation.
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It’s time for a New Negotiation framework

Negotiation is misunderstood. Worse yet, it’s avoided. 

Traditional negotiation methods and models don’t help. Most old school negotiation programs focus too much on hardball tactics, and if they do discuss “strategy,” it feels a lot more like “theory.” This isn’t useful when trying to tackle real, practical problems: 

How should modern teams navigate internal politics, cross-functional tensions, increasingly virtual coordination, and conflicting organizational goals, all while trying to meet negotiation goals?

Over and over again, we see common misalignments inside the organization derail progress outside it. Then:

  • Deals stall.
  • Margins slip.
  • And relationships fray.

Our negotiation framework is built for the way business is done today. It equips you to manage Relationships, control the Process, and pursue the right Goals, all while accounting for the internal, external, and market forces at play. It’s adaptive. It’s strategic. It uses all the best practices of traditional negotiation theory, but it’s built for how real negotiations actually work.

Want to dive deeper? Learn with us!

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"Instructor maintained class interaction and was enjoyable."
"It was time well spent and the course was engaging."
"Was a really good experience and I would like to do the advanced workshop."
"It didn't feel like two full days, it was very engaging."
“I enjoyed and learned more from Aligned negotiation training than previous ones. I think this has more real world use for me.”
"Great training. Went better than I expected."
“This was by far the best training course I’ve ever taken.”
"Great training with real life examples I can use in my job right away!"
"Was a great addition to my HR toolbox."
"The training sessions are very informative and helpful."
"Very engaging. Enjoyed the presentation"
"Instructor maintained class interaction and was enjoyable."
"It was time well spent and the course was engaging."
"Was a really good experience and I would like to do the advanced workshop."
"It didn't feel like two full days, it was very engaging."
“I enjoyed and learned more from Aligned negotiation training than previous ones. I think this has more real world use for me.”
"Great training. Went better than I expected."
“This was by far the best training course I’ve ever taken.”
"Great training with real life examples I can use in my job right away!"
"Was a great addition to my HR toolbox."
"The training sessions are very informative and helpful."
"Very engaging. Enjoyed the presentation"

The Aligned Strategic Framework explained

A negotiation framework is a system for thinking through, and executing, any negotiation. At its best, it helps you make sense of competing interests, conflicting agendas, and dynamic pressure from both sides of the table.

The Aligned Strategic Framework (ASF) is a brand new negotiation framework

ASF is a modern negotiation framework that’s:
  • Adaptive to the scenario, power dynamics, and stakeholders involved
  • Strategic in aligning interests, surfacing value, and managing risk
  • Relational in its focus on trust, EQ, and long-term outcomes

The Three dimensions

Negotiation is about navigating complexity: Relationships, Process, and Goals, all at once.

The Aligned Strategic Framework helps individuals and teams manage negotiation through three core dimensions:
Relationships
Process
Goals
How trust, communication, emotion, and history shape outcomes.
  • Are you building an alliance, or guarding against being played?
  • What’s the emotional current in the room?
  • Is trust required or will you never see this person again?
The structure and sequence of the negotiation itself.
  • Are you controlling the agenda or reacting to theirs?
  • How are decisions made (on your side and theirs)?
  • Are you running your business by rules or is every deal an exception?
The structure and sequence of the negotiation itself.
  • What’s non-negotiable vs. flexible?
  • Are you creating value, claiming it, or both?
  • What’s the total value of the deal?
Understand the 4 Negotiation Types to adjust your strategy

Relationships, Process, and Goals are the dimensions of your negotiation, and they determine the type of deal you’re in. The more clarity you have about your counterparty relationship, your desired outcome, and the complexity of the negotiation, the better your strategy will be.

The Aligned Strategic Framework maps negotiation scenarios into four distinct types. Knowing which one you’re in helps you pick the right approach and avoid missteps.

Bargaining

Multiple terms, moderate trust, and room to negotiate. This is where smart trades unlock real value in the most common type of negotiation.

learn more:

The Playbook for Hard Bargaining

Trading

Multiple terms, moderate trust, and room to negotiate. This is where smart trades unlock real value.

trade like a pro:

Concession Planning in B2B Sales

Creating

Open sharing, creative structuring, and interest-based dealmaking. Great for multi-issue or long-term scenarios.

learn more:

How to Create Value Without Giving It Away

Partnering

High-trust, interdependent, and long-term in nature. Think alliances, joint ventures, or enterprise enablement. Don’t be surprised if these deals are less collaborative than Creating!

lessons from the field:

Negotiating Partnership Deals

Use the ASF across the entire negotiation  lifecycle

The most important business negotiations are complex, “always-on”, long-term, but most negotiation frameworks don’t teach about this. The Aligned Strategic Framework stays with you from preparation to close, helping you manage pressure, build alignment, and create better outcomes at every stage.

Phases

ASF Guides

Prepare
Strategic framing, trust-building, and surfacing underlying interests
Communicate
Strategic framing, trust-building, and surfacing underlying interests
Propose
Smart anchoring, thoughtful trades, and managing your ZOPA effectively
Align
Final goal checks, clean execution, and preserving trust post-deal



By applying ASF at each step, you build momentum and stay in control, even when the stakes rise.

Trusted by:
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"Aligned's compelling negotiation training resonated across our teams, offering impactful tactics and thought structures. We each gained valuable insights that translated into results for our business."

Kelsey Johnson

GM, Retail

“Aligned has been an invaluable partner as we continue to build a negotiation culture and mindset throughout Marmon. We appreciate Aligned’s tailored and thoughtful approach to negotiation training which has yielded measurable results for our businesses.”

Michelle Misialek

Chief Continuous Improvement Officer

“Aligned negotiation training was phenomenal. We are getting immediate ROI at all levels of the organization.”

Alex Worley

CEO

"After going through myself, I saw immediate impact and signed the rest of my organization up. Now we have a common language, set of tools, and standards across the board. Not only has the feedback been excellent but the results are even better."

Jerome Barrillon

President

Dig deeper into each phase

How to Run a Negotiation Planning Session
Read more ›
Strategic Framing in High-Stakes Deals
Read more ›
ZOPA: Bargaining Ranges in Practice
Read more ›
ready to apply asf?

Frame as a diagnostic or transformation pathway

Whether you are building skills or closing complex deals, the ASF gives you leverage.

Let’s talk about how to apply it to your next negotiation:

schedule a discovery call

Explore Training Options

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Self-Guided Learning

Personalize Your Strategy with Your Aligned Silhouette

Every negotiator brings their own unique wiring to the table, and so does every counterparty. That’s why we’ve introduced our proprietary Negotiation “Silhouette,” the first ever negotiation-personality report.

The Aligned Silhouette is a research-backed profiler that combines two dimensions:
  • Your personality type
  • Your conflict orientation

This creates 20+ negotiation personas, like The Mastermind (a Methodical Competitor) or The Ally (an Empathetic Collaborator). Each has predictable strengths, blind spots, and stress triggers.

The Aligned Strategic Framework uses this lens to:
  • Help individuals play to their strengths and stretch their style when needed
  • Equip teams to adapt to counterparties with vastly different negotiation defaults
  • Pair personas with negotiation types (e.g., avoid putting a Peacekeeper in a Hard Bargaining showdown)

Whether you’re a Coach, a Guard, or a Facilitator, the Silhouette gives you a behavioral edge, so your strategy fits not just the deal, but you.

Explore the Negotiation Silhouettes

Learn more about the Aligned Strategic Framework

The ASF is at the center of an entire learning system. Explore the ideas that connect to and expand from the framework.

01  /  Negotiation Core Concepts

02  /  Psychology of Negotiation

03  /  Negotiation Learning Pathways

04  /  Negotiation Planning Tools

Resources for Negotiators

Silhouette Personality Assessment

Understand your negotiation style with our proprietary assessment.

Blog Hub

Explore in-depth articles on negotiation strategies, negotiation games, and more.

The Video Series

Start here with our 90-minute course designed to help you master negotiation.