Negotiation Strategies May 23, 2012

The Essence of Win-Win Negotiation

Win-win negotiating is one of the most important concepts in negotiation.

By creating enlarged spheres of mutual interdependence and interests, you can discover benefits far beyond what either party considered likely or possible when talks began. The goal is always to find and uncover hidden opportunities in what each could do for the other.

That is the essence of win-win negotiating. It deals with more than price or terms, though each is important in its own right. Win-win raises the stakes- it raises the level and content of the relationship between bargainers. It generates new value and connections that were not visible before they jointly searched for them.

There are many types of areas that can generate greater payoff for both parties. The key is to look for them.

A win-win negotiation style reduces the tension inherent in bargaining. There are few phrases which better capture the attention of the other party than, “Let’s find a better deal for both of us.” What follows, like magic, is a willingness to be flexible and to discover greater possibilities for overlap and assistance.

A 10-inch pie becomes a bigger and better 12-inch pie which is much easier to share than the smaller, less tasty one. Our relationship with the other side becomes stronger, less likely to fall apart. Both sides become super-winners.

The road to exceptional success in negotiation is down the road of win-win. This win-win approach can help enhance your bargaining power, break deadlocks, and can give you the focus to maintain negotiations even under pressure.