Kennedys Negotiation

Securing Market Advantage, Asset Value, and Profitability

Oil & Gas

Capture value in an uncertain and volatile environment

 

In Oil & Gas, success isn’t dictated by reserves alone—it’s about who secures the best contracts, optimizes cost structures, and mitigates regulatory risks. Companies that embed negotiation discipline into upstream, midstream, and downstream operations consistently outperform competitors. Those that don’t? They face shrinking margins, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and costly regulatory setbacks.


Four Strategic Negotiation Imperatives for Energy Leaders:
Secure High-Value Contracts Early: Leading oil & gas firms lock in exploration, drilling, and supply agreements before market conditions shift, while weaker competitors negotiate reactively and lose leverage.


Master Capital Allocation and Asset Deals: Energy leaders negotiate advantageous M&A, joint ventures, and infrastructure investments, ensuring strategic control over production and distribution networks.


Offset Cost and Regulatory Pressures: Disciplined negotiation protects against oil price volatility, geopolitical risks, and regulatory compliance costs, strengthening financial resilience.


Ensure Sustainable Competitive Edge: Negotiation mastery enhances supplier terms, pipeline access, and asset lifecycle value, securing long-term market positioning.

Oil & Gas companies invest heavily in operational efficiencies, yet CEOs confirm that world-class negotiation drives at least a 3% EBIT boost—many achieve 5% or more. Despite this, negotiation remains an underfunded competency, leaving billions on the table in licensing deals, exploration rights, and supplier agreements.
Negotiation excellence translates strategy into market dominance. Companies that embed structured negotiation frameworks secure better contract terms, optimize capital expenditures, and strengthen their global footprint.


We help Oil & Gas companies develop evidence-based negotiation capabilities to enhance deal execution, mitigate cost volatility, fortify supplier relationships, and drive sustained profitability

Exactly how much is poor negotiation performance costing you?

We can tell you

$30 Billion

Price wars and OPEC pushback slash topline by 15-20% (McKinsey, 2024), a bleeding wound as lease flops cost $5-10B (PitchBook, 2024) and choke revenue with a tighter noose. Our solutions help you barricade pricing power, boosting commercial topline and margins, hammering profits before they’re a corpse on the slab.

20%

Supply disruptions and weak deals slit margins by 15-20% (McKinsey, 2024)—rigs rot, bleeding $300-400M on $2B. Our solutions help you lock supply chains, clawing $300-400M from the grinder.

15%

Regulatory fines and compliance delays bleed $200-300M (BCG, 2024)—profits choke tighter. Our solutions help you shred penalties, forging $200-300M in efficiency.
How we can help

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

Successful
Execution

Essential Areas of Focus

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

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.

Solutions

Exactly how much is poor negotiating behaviour costing you? We can tell you

Trusted advice boosts your high-stakes deals—saves millions, sharpens strategy, keeps it confidential for CEOs and Boards

CEOs and Boards face high-stakes deals where missteps cost millions—think £10B in fines (Fenergo, 2021) from shaky terms. We’ve guided FTSE 100 leaders to £15M savings (Call for ref) with advice that’s all about your bottom line.

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.

Tailored process picks your best negotiators—Find and train the perfect negotiator for your toughest deals.

Picking the right negotiator can shift millions—get it wrong, and 50% synergy losses (McKinsey, 2021) sting. Our tailored process finds your dealmakers and sharpens them up.

What we bring to the table

Step 1: Negotek Planner—we map your strategy’s priorities, issues, and skills needed, setting the stage.
 
Step 2: Team Assessment—we run behaviour scans to spot who’ll deliver under pressure, no guesswork.
 
Step 3: Real-World Runs—hands-on simulations test and train your team, ensuring they’re ready for the real thing.

Spot and build your next negotiation stars for lasting impact

Your future depends on spotting negotiation talent—miss it, and you’re exposed. We’ve built benches for FTSE 100 firms, driving 3-5% margin gains (Bain, 2023).

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.
  •  

Lift your top negotiator’s game with expert coaching

“Navigating table dynamics is a bloody nightmare,” an exec groaned. Your top negotiator needs a coach who’s been there—we’ve cut prep time 20% (internal data) across 100,000+ deals.

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.

Train your team to negotiate with top-tier skills

Get your team negotiating like pros—our 8-step/4-phase approach, the UK’s longest-running workshop, hits a 90% success rate (Kennedy research). From Shell to IBM, we’ve powered teams to deliver.

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.

Align your team for smarter decisions and stronger collaboration

Teams that can’t decide or work together cost you—slow calls and silos bleed profit. We’ve sparked 10% innovation gains (Shell case) at Intel and Shell by fixing how your team clicks.

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.

Power your in-house training with our proven expertise.

Want our expertise in-house? Our content—trusted by half of the original FTSE 100 and taught at top business schools worldwide—lifts your training game with no fuss

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.
Our Negotiation Experience & Impact

2.5x

TSR outperformance when we partner with clients on negotiation strategy

44/1

ROI within just six months of implementation

3.5x

Faster Value Realisation

280

Negotiation operating model transformations since 1984

Impact of Improving Negotiation Performance

Sharpen negotiation—you don’t drill, you dominate. Chevron execs who honed negotiation didn’t just survive—they crushed it, turning $5-10B lease risks into a $53B empire spike (Bloomberg, 2024). You’ll choke the chaos—growth, revenue, costs—and carve out billions.

Margins

McKinsey (2024)—$300-400M on $2B—price wars choked

Valuation

PitchBook (2024)—$2-3B on $10B—terms ripped (Bain, 2024).

Cost

10-15% supply wins—vultures gutted

LNG Gains:

  Bain (2023)—$200M on $1B—profits forged.

The cost of poor negotiation Powered by Dealbook

M&A Bust (2023): A $500M merger cratered when a mid-tier driller fumbled OPEC talks—synergies slit, $250M in gains bled dry, leaving a $50B titan eating losses in the Gulf (Bain, 2024).

Europe Retail Squeeze (2021): Weak retailer talks cut margins by 10-15%, visibility eroding in a silent slaughter (DealBook).

LNG Pricing (2022): $200M bled from a botched Qatar deal—profits choked as LNG prices tanked, a $5B unit’s edge slit by delayed terms in a hot market (Bain, 2023).
Regulatory Hit (2021): $500M shredded when a U.S. player misread EPA rules—stability died, fines piled, and a $10B shale play rotted under compliance claws (EY, 2024).
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