Negotiations are almost always a delicate dance where multiple parties work to strike a balance between what each seeks to gain and achieve. Although each party may never get exactly everything they’re looking for, when a balance is found and each gets at least something they’re looking for, a win-win situation can be found. But how you get to that win-win situation is always the trickiest part, and here are some strategic secrets for getting there.
- Don’t give ultimatums
First and foremost, if you’re looking to negotiate and create a win-win situation, ultimatums should never come anywhere close to you. There’s no room for trying to push another party into a corner to try to get what you want, and doing this will never get you anywhere near that win-win you’re looking for.
- Long-term mutual gain is more valuable than personal gain in the short-term
Having a win-win situation means there’s a benefit for all parties involved. Sometimes, personal gains need to be set aside, and the overall mutual benefit needs to be put at the forefront.
- Be a trusting negotiating partner
When you’re looking to strike a win-win deal, there needs to be a foundation of trust established from the beginning. If you can’t trust your negotiating partner and they can’t trust you, there’s no hope for achieving that desired win-win situation. “No matter what deal is on the table, if there’s no trust between the parties involved, they’ll be hard-pressed to strike a win-win deal that everyone can feel confident in,” explains Dale Lindon, a negotiation expert at Academicbrits and OriginWritings.
- Don’t stay focused on just one issue
When you focus on a limited number of issues, you limit your chances of finding that balance that’ll get your win-win negotiation. When you broaden your scope and increase the issues you’re looking to resolve, you show that you’re willing to give something for the other parties to gain, and not just looking to have a win on your own side.
- Give in order to get
When you show your willingness to give the other parties involved at least something they’re looking for, it shows a willingness to create that ideal win-win situation. There’s no way to reach that deal if you’re not willing to let the others at least have some wins – and, of course, they’ve got to be willing to do the same.
- Educate yourself
It’s important to show that you’ve done your homework, and you’re serious about striking a deal. When you go into a negotiation without knowing the answers to important questions, it doesn’t show the level of seriousness and commitment that’s necessary to score that win-win. This also includes knowing what your negotiating partners are looking for, so you’re able to help offer them what they want as a part of your deal.
- Use first person plurals when negotiating
When negotiating, you want to project the appearance of a willingness to work as a team towards a mutual benefit. For this reason, it’s a great idea to use first person plural pronouns, such as we, our and us, when negotiating because it shows those you are dealing with that you are looking out for their best interests as well as yours.
- Set emotions aside
Negotiations can be a stressful process, filled with emotions, especially when the subject at hand is near and dear to your heart. But, it’s always important to distance emotions from the negotiations, keep your composure and stay focused on the end goal. “It’s easy to get tied up in the emotions of a negotiation, but it’s always important to keep your eye on the prize. It’s also important to not fret too much about what the other party is getting, if it’s not having that great of an impact on your gains – remember that everything is relative,” marketing manager at PhD Kingdom and Next Coursework, Patrick Schexnayder reminds us.
- Everything in increments
Even if you’re willing to make large concessions, it’s better to get to where you’re going in smaller incremental movements, rather than jumping to your final landing spot. Showing that you’re willing to move, gives your negotiating partners the positive reinforcement they’ll want to see in order to stay engaged in the negotiations.
- Get everything in writing
No matter what deal is struck, it’s important to have it all documented, so there’s a record of everything and so that all parties clearly understand what is involved and what will be expected of everything.
Creating a win-win situation means all negotiating parties involved get at least something they’re looking for. When you’re looking to achieve this, it’s important to follow strategic secrets in order to strike a balance where everyone involved wins.
