You are here: Home / Archives for needs

Three Keys to a Win/Win Outcome in Negotiation

August 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

three or four people successfully smiling and shaking hands at a table Some negotiators have a strong reputation for consistently achieving win-win outcomes in their negotiations. To achieve this favorable reputation for yourself, keep the following guidelines in mind.

  1. Avoid narrowing the negotiation down to one issue. Focusing on just one issue sets the scene for a win-lose outcome. For example, let’s say you want to buy a hundred computers for your corporation and your budget is $1,000 per computer. The model you prefer is listed for $1,400 per computer. You might be tempted to lock onto the price issue and do your best to get the computers discounted to $1,000.

    A better strategy would be to bring up additional deal points to negotiate, such as delivery date, financing, upgrades, warranty, training, and support-all of which contribute to the overall “price” of the product. Bringing multiple issues to the table provides the opportunity for you to “juggle” the deal points to create a win-win outcome.

    2. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , ,

Negotiating Win/Win Deals

May 5, 2010 By 2 Comments

Negotiating Desirable Outcomes

You may not realize it, but you are involved in negotiation a good part of every day. Any negotiation–whether it involves settling on the price of a product or service, agreeing to the terms of a job offer, or simply deciding on a bedtime for your children–ends in one of five possible outcomes: (1) lose/lose, in which neither party achieves his goals; (2) lose/win or (3) win/lose, in which one party achieves her goals and the other does not; (4) no outcome, in which neither party wins or loses; and (5) win/win, in which the goals of both parties are met. It’s easy to see that numbers 1 and 4 are less than ideal, as is number 2 if you are the one who loses! But what about the other two outcomes? Isn’t win/lose just as desirable as win/win, as long as you are the winner?

The Win/Lose Outcome

In some negotiations, you will be the winner and the other party will be the loser. At first, it may seem that this is the ideal situation for you. But think about it. If you have ever lost a negotiation, you know that the feeling is not pleasant. A significant problem with a win/lose outcome is that one person walks away with unmet needs–and this person is unlikely to be willing to engage in future negotiations with the other party. Ultimately, this sets up the potential for a lose/lose outcome.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , , ,