Negotiation is key in most business ventures, including securing business deals and partnerships. While you should approach some negotiations with an offensive-defensive strategy in mind, sometimes a more collaborative negotiation can take place. In that case, there is use for a negotiating strategy that leaves the door open for future partnerships or collaboration. It organically strengthens the relationship and loyalty between employees, coworkers, and customers, allowing all parties to leave a situation pleased with their goals.
A Win-Win Negotiation
The idea of an integrative or win-win strategy in negotiation is that both parties cooperate to find a mutually beneficial end for each of their goals. If both parties walk away from negotiations feeling as if they have gained something and that they achieved their goals, you’ve successfully completed a win-win negotiation. The key to a win-win situation is cooperation and collaboration between the two parties, where each has shared benefits or the benefits of a group in mind and is willing to work together and compromise to reach those shared benefits. This style of negotiation is particularly useful when working with people you hope to have long-lasting business relationships with customers, coworkers, and business partners.
A perfect compromise is the ideal situation for a win-win negotiation, where both sides give up the same amount and gain much more. Of course, such a scenario is uncommon, and so for win-win negotiations to succeed even when one party gives more than another, it’s wise to seek compensation for that difference. This way, both parties benefit and the goal of a win-win negotiation is fulfilled – maintaining the relationship.
The alternatives to win-win negotiations include win-lose and lose-lose situations. Lose-lose situations are not ideal for anyone involved, although they are sometimes necessary for long-term or larger benefits. Win-lose negotiations are created from competition and the need for advantage. They are often used in buying-selling situations. If you are on the winning side of the win-lose deal, you may see a few issues with dividing the benefits between parties. However, this net zero of losses and benefits is not an ideal strategy for collaboration intentions: you are more likely to undermine the trust and long-term teamwork with the other party. If the other party is a customer, your long-term reputation as a business may be soured as someone who would rather win a deal than collaborate. If the other party is a coworker or other cooperative party, the respect and trust useful for future endeavors may be gone. Weigh the short-term and long-term benefits of win-win versus win-lose negotiations.
Using the integrative negotiation to achieve a win-win outcome allows the negotiations to be more cooperative and create more benefits than if the parties were haggling or keeping information. With a more open exchange of information, both parties can see the motivations and wishes of the other. They can then work towards a solution that leaves everyone gaining benefits and being pleased with the outcome.
Benefits of Win-Win Situations
- Future Opportunities
Working towards win-win negotiations can open future paths of collaboration with customers and business partners. Parties who appreciate your treatment in one negotiation are likely to engage with you again towards other benefits and mutual agreements. Customers who feel they gained as much as you did are also likely to conduct repeat business or spread positive reviews.
- Better Working Relationships
It’s better for long-term cooperation if business partners and coworkers have a well-developed and healthy relationship, and win-win negotiations help towards that. This way, as you work with them towards a mutual goal, what they bring to the negotiation and collaboration is clearly valuable to you, just as what you bring is valuable to them. When neither party feels the need to gain a ‘win’ over the other, they are more likely to consider working together in the future.
- Mutual Benefits
Using a win-win negotiation strategy puts the focus on collaboration rather than power or control over the opposing party as some other negotiations do. This focus on mutually beneficial outcomes allows everyone’s goals to be met to an extent, creating a greater number of benefits for everyone involved.
- Creation of New Benefits
When both parties are collaborating and don’t feel the need to hold their cards close to their chest, more options can be explored. With more information known about each party’s needs and wants, more problems can be solved together, and more solutions can be found in teamwork. While this will likely take longer than a win-lose negotiation, the long-term benefits could be useful.
Win-Win Strategy Downsides
While beneficial, there are drawbacks to using a win-win negotiation. They aren’t possible in every situation, as both parties have to be willing to work together towards a common goal and have the ability to invest the time it takes to reach that goal. Sometimes both parties can’t find common ground, and win-win situations require more knowledge, discussion, and compromise than negotiations where common ground is less necessary. If one or both parties are unable to commit the extra energy to find the benefits and solutions of cooperation, the strategies are unlikely to work.
Strategies to Employ Toward Win-Win Outcomes
If a win-win negotiation seems likely and beneficial for your situation, it’s important to understand some of the strategies to employ to ensure its success:
- Remaining honest and respectful. Being honest will allow for better cooperation, and being respectful toward the other party will help them do the same for collaboration.
- Creating a realistic negotiation that starts with small concessions. This way, you can manage expectations of what each of you is willing to give and take the time to discuss larger concessions as the negotiation relationship continues.
- Be willing to make sacrifices. If the other party makes concessions and you don’t do the same, you will likely not reach a win-win solution.
- Offering multiple paths for cooperation. You can understand what the other party values in working together this way, which is helpful when working towards a common goal.
- Agreeing to contingencies and breach of contract penalties. This is one way that compensation can be given if one party had to give more than the other in negotiations. This way, the party has more security in the collaboration, or both parties establish how to handle potential future problems securely.
Learning More About Negotiation Strategies
Successful negotiators can better approach the cooperation needed for win-win strategies and know-how to better navigate towards the best outcomes for both parties. For training in win-win negotiations, contact Shapiro Negotiations Institute to learn how to evaluate when a negotiation strategy is the right choice.
