The concept of win-win

The general concept of win-win is probably a familiar one. It’s a situation, negotiation or strategy in which all parties benefit; there are no losers. I’m going to dig a bit deeper into this concept to discover how we can change certain outcomes and get to the win-win situations more often.

Win-win negotiations

Rather than having a winner and a loser, win-win negotiations are always a desirable outcome. If both parties believe there is a good chance of benefiting from a negotiation, the more likely they will be to take part in it and contribute.

Participating in a win-win negotiation means getting a good deal for yourself whilst also ensuring that the other party is happy and the offer is as good for them as it is for you.

Changing your mindset

Effective win-win negotiations form the basis of successful deals and help to establish beneficial long-term relationships. The challenge is how to encourage your teams to engage with customers and make them realise the potential benefits. You need to think about the situation carefully and the outcome you’d like to achieve, and then consider how both parties win.

Win-win negotiations mean changing your mindset. Instead of automatically thinking of how much you stand to gain, you need to find a middle ground to enable success for everyone. To do this, you’ll have to train your team to review their customer service strategy. In every conversation they have they’ll need to change their perspective from winning a deal at all costs to one of a fairer level of negotiation.

Negotiation in action

Finding that middle ground to success will always be a challenge. Think about the strategies you currently have in place when negotiating with potential customers. What needs to change in order to achieve that win-win outcome? Key points to consider might include a focus on maintaining relationships, generating options before deciding on what to do, or seeking a fair resolution which is acceptable for all concerned.

As a coach, I understand just how difficult it can be to change habits of a lifetime, especially when dealing with a wide variety of customers all with differing needs. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and perhaps fall into the trap of not always gaining the best outcome for everyone concerned.

If you’re struggling to put the win-win concept into practice and would like some help, feel free to get in touch by connecting with me.