Controlling Market Share, Profitability, and Supplier Power
Consumer Packaged Goods
Market Leadership is Negotiated, Not Earned
In consumer goods, dominance is not dictated by brand strength or market reach—it is negotiated at the supplier table, in retail contracts, and across cost structures. Every key driver of profitability—supplier pricing, distribution terms, promotional placements, and category exclusivity—hinges on negotiation discipline, contractual precision, and strategic leverage. Market leaders do not merely optimize costs—they negotiate market access, control supplier dependencies, and shape industry terms. Those who fail to negotiate strategically absorb unnecessary costs, lose pricing power, and allow competitors to dictate terms.
Consumer Goods Leaders who outgrow and outearn live by these strategic negotiation imperatives:
Negotiate Supplier Value Before Cost Pressures Erode Margins
Firms like Unilever and Nestlé do not accept supplier costs as fixed—they negotiate long-term volume commitments and performance-based pricing. Unilever’s gross margin rose by 280 basis points (Unilever, 2023), partly due to negotiated cost efficiencies in materials, production, and logistics.
Retail Positioning is Negotiated—Not a Function of Brand Equity
Shelf space, online visibility, and promotional priority are not guaranteed—they are won through negotiation. L’Oréal secures premium positioning in global retailers, fueling +11.0% like-for-like sales growth (€41.18 billion total revenue, 2023) by structuring category dominance into its contracts.
Use Negotiation to Protect Margins from Cost Volatility
With raw material costs increasing 10–15% annually (BCG, 2024), negotiation is not just about price—it is about embedding indexation clauses, risk-sharing frameworks, and dynamic pricing agreements that prevent cost spikes from eroding profits.
Competitive Advantage is Negotiated, Not Assumed
Negotiation discipline separates market leaders from stagnant brands. Firms neglecting negotiation excellence lose permanent pricing power, supplier influence, and competitive edge—turning structural disadvantages into long-term market setbacks.
Market Leadership is Negotiated, Not Earned
Consumer goods companies invest millions in management consulting to lift EBIT by just 1.5%–2%, yet CEOs confirm that negotiation mastery delivers EBIT gains of 3%–5% or more. Despite this, negotiation remains an underfunded capability, leaving substantial value on the table.
Negotiation is not just a supply chain function—it is an executive-level discipline that dictates whether brands control their market position or are controlled by it. Companies that lead consumer goods categories do not just grow—they negotiate their growth from positions of strength.
The choice is simple: secure market power through negotiation—or be outmaneuvered by those who do.
We help consumer goods companies harness evidence-based negotiation capabilities to maximize supplier leverage, optimize retail contracts, strengthen pricing power, and sustain long-term profitability.
Exactly how much is poor negotiation performance costing you?
We can tell you
10%
15%
Weak client deals erode revenue by up to 12% without premium terms (McKinsey, 2023, p. 14), trust rotting like a plague as wealth dangles over a jagged pit. Our solutions arm you to forge ironclad agreements, enhancing wealth management and private banking negotiations, smashing long-term value into granite against the creeping decay.
12%
Negotiation is the bridge between strategy and execution. This operating model clarifies where negotiation work must happen, how it must be done, and who must be accountable. It treats negotiation not as a soft skill, but as a structured capability—one that links commercial intent to operational delivery. This is the blueprint for how negotiation is organised, governed, and deployed to deliver outcomes at scale
Commercial & Operational Imperatives
Is your team leaving money on the table in critical negotiations?
Most costs don’t show up in the budget—they leak through poor preparation, untraded concessions, and unnecessary escalation.
Kennedy equips your commercial and back-office teams to trade with discipline, push back with clarity, and protect value under pressure.
We focus where margin is most at risk—long before it shows up in the numbers.
Are your joint ventures and partnerships set up to create value—or just hope for it?
Most growth strategies fail not because of ambition, but because roles, returns, and exit paths were never properly negotiated.
We counsel leadership teams on joint ventures, alliances, and regulatory negotiations—focusing on the terms that matter: clarity, governance, and alignment that hold under pressure.
Is your team equipped to execute strategy when roles blur and priorities compete?
Most organisations don’t break down because of poor intent—they break down when strategic decisions get stuck between unclear ownership, internal politics, and avoided collboration.
Kennedy helps your teams collaborate profitably—so decisions stick, execution moves, and alignment holds under pressure
Does your sales team have the tools to create and capture value at the same time?
Most sales teams can close deals. Fewer can protect margin, manage pricing pressure, and trade with discipline under fire. Kennedy’s 8-Step / 4-Phase model helps close the gap between go-to-market strategy and bottom-line performance.
Kennedys helps you embed a structured approach to planning and executing deals—improving margins, account profitability, cycle time, and pricing control.
Successful
Execution
Top-Line Profitability
“Sometimes my colleagues give away too much to close a deal, leaving my team with less to work with,” a CFO bluntly observed.
Abandon late-stage price concessions and reactive discount reflexes, and instead implement structured, front-loaded negotiation behaviors that preserve margin, reduce revenue dilution, and align scope with commercial value from day one
Cost Excellence
“Every pound saved is vital, yet our operational talks falter,” a COO lamented
Stop relying on tactical procurement and fragmented approvals, and deploy codified negotiation governance that closes posture gaps, captures savings, and eliminates recurring inefficiencies hidden in supplier and internal negotiations
Internal Alignment
“Teams that fail to decide or collaborate undermine our profitability—it’s a concern,” a manager remarked
Abandon late-stage price concessions and reactive discount reflexes, and instead implement structured, front-loaded negotiation behaviors that preserve margin, reduce revenue dilution, and align scope with commercial value from day one
Corporate Negotiation
“If only we could pick up all the money we are spilling…It’s…in the tens if not hundreds of millions,” head of legal at a Global 500
Move beyond celebratory deal-making and generic diligence checklists, and embed disciplined negotiation structures that protect valuation, define integration terms, and enable post-close execution without value leakage
Corporate Negotiation Learn More
The Solution: Precision Negotiation Powered by Proven Methodology
We don’t just advise; we equip you to win. We help you plan, strategize, and execute corporate negotiations, identify the right negotiators, and build high-performing teams. By deploying the Kennedy negotiation methodology, you unlock tangible results:
- Growth Secured with Precision: Imagine achieving 20% synergy gains (McKinsey, 2021) on your acquisitions, joint ventures, and partnerships. Our proven framework makes it a reality, driving measurable expansion.
- Compliance Achieved Efficiently: Navigate the regulatory maze with confidence. Our structured approach ensures compliance, delivering substantial savings—like the £15 million our clients saved on public sector contracts.
- Returns Maximised Effectively: Eliminate post-transaction setbacks and optimize capital allocation. Our disciplined process ensures that every deal delivers flourishing, high-value outcomes.
Exactly how much is poor negotiating behaviour costing you? We can tell you
Advisory
Trusted advice boosts your high-stakes deals—saves millions, sharpens strategy, keeps it confidential for CEOs and Boards
What we bring to the table
- Sharp due diligence assesses your team’s negotiation strength—ensuring the right players lead from day one.
- M&A prep secures 20% synergy gains (Call for ref)—we manage complex stakeholders so your strategy lands.
- Total confidentiality protects your sensitive moves—our 40-year track record keeps rivals out, your goals in.
Simulations
Tailored process picks your best negotiators—Find and train the perfect negotiator for your toughest deals.
What we bring to the table
Assessment
Spot and build your next negotiation stars for lasting impact
What we bring to the table
- Our 8-step/4-phase lens—trusted by 500,000—sizes up talent with clear, measurable behaviours, no guesswork.
- Firm-wide audits match negotiation to your goals—your rising stars, ready for critical moments.
- Pre- and post-training checks show real uplift—your team’s edge, locked in.
Performance Coaching
Lift your top negotiator’s game with expert coaching
What we bring to the table
- Seasoned CNO coaches craft your deal plan—tailored to your context, no nonsense, just results.
- Step-by-step wins keep you on track—20% faster prep
- Practical expertise from FTSE 100 battles—your deals, maxed out, one win at a time.
Capability Building
Train your team to negotiate with top-tier skills
What we bring to the table
- Workshops and deal coaching embed skills—basic to certified, your team’s sharp from day one.
- Profitable Team Advantage: Practical tools boost collaboration—10-12% efficiency gains (McKinsey, 2023)—turning rows into real results.
- Team Payoff: Your team shares ideas for higher customer satisfaction (internal data)—innovation and profit, delivered fast.
Organisational Effectiveness
Align your team for smarter decisions and stronger collaboration
What we bring to the table
- Smarter Decisions: We assess and improve your team’s ability to make fast, effective choices—quicker wins keep you ahead (analyst data)—no delays.
- Stronger Teamwork: We build skills in influence, communication, conflict, and change—our 4 key pillars (Kennedy research)—driving higher returns
- Practical tools streamline how your team tackles tough issues with real results.
License Our Content
Power your in-house training with our proven expertise.
What we bring to the table
- Quick plug-ins for your academies—top-notch kit, ready to roll, proven by global leaders.
- Train-the-trainer options let your team run it—cost-smart, big impact, tailored your way.
- Elite solutions from FTSE 100 and academic runs—your training, powered by unmatched expertise.
2.5x
44/1
ROI within just six months of implementation
3.5x
280
Impact of Improving Negotiation Performance
Research proves it: execs who embed negotiation as a corporate capability shred inefficiencies and claw back billions.
Unilever execs who honed negotiation didn’t just survive—they crushed it, turning 10-15% supplier losses into margin spikes (BCG, 2023). You’ll choke the chaos—share, pricing, costs—and carve out billions in value.
Market Share
5-8%: Bain (2023, p. 12) shows negotiation secures 5-8% shelf-share gains—$50-80M revenue on a $1B category—ripping slots from retailers’ claws, not rotting in compliance pits (industry data).
Pricing Power
8-10%: BCG (2023, p. 18) ties negotiation to 8-10% price realization—$80-100M more for a $1B book—by choking discounts and hammering retail terms, not bleeding in visibility graves (your 10-15%).
Supply Costs
15-20%: Deloitte (2024, p. 9) pegs raw material savings at 15-20%—$75-100M yearly for a $500M spend—vultures stripped bare, efficiency forged in fire, beyond McKinsey’s 12-18% (your raw data).
EBITDA Jumps 3-5 Points: McKinsey (2023, p. 16) links negotiation to 3-5% EBITDA gains—$30-50M profit on a $1B base—crushing supplier waste and boosting returns, not rotting in logistics chaos.
Promo ROI Lifts 15-20%: Nielsen (2024, p. 7) ties negotiation to 15-20% better trade promo returns—$15-20M profit on a $100M spend—gutting waste and forging retail leverage, not drowning in discount pits.
The cost of poor negotiation Powered by Dealbook
Nestlé Asia Chaos (2020): Limp supplier deals spiked costs by 10-15%, stock rotting (DealBook).
