Win-win negotiations are the most successful in the long run and are difficult to accomplish. To reach a win-win negotiation, both parties must give up a little of something. Both parties must understand what is behind the position of the other party, that is, what is the interest?
This in theory is very easy, but when carried out it is complicated. How do you get a win-win negotiation? Especially when in a two-party negotiation, one has greater power over the other; that is, there is an imbalance of power.
How to make a balance of power? After understanding the factors that affect the negotiation of each of the parties, we must put the powers of negotiation on both sides of the balance and analyze what is making our negotiation and that of the other party be or not. be successful.
What gives power in negotiation ?; among other things:
- Information Perception Standards References Precedents, etc.
The true power is of the one who sees in his power the opportunity to get to obtain a win-win negotiation with the other party.
How do we find out who has the power on your side in the negotiation?
- Listening, analyzing, understanding the negotiation process
How to diminish the power of the other or change the power at our side of the negotiating table?
- Preparing ourselves with negotiation tactics, concepts and tools.
But the key is in the balance of power, not in the perception of it.
- Pa1 = Power of person a at point 1 of negotiation Pa2 = Power of person a at point 2 of negotiation Pb1 = Power of person b at point 1 of negotiation Pb2 = Power of person b at point 2 of negotiation
If for a moment we think about the role of a third party acting as mediator; this role is important; since this third party will objectively analyze who has more power and how to use that power to carry out the win-win negotiation.
Ultimately, negotiation is a "push and pull" of the parties to reach an agreement. This "push and pull" could be more efficient when we think of a third party. We are negotiating "You" and "I" but thinking or using a third party "He" gives us the opportunity to objectively observe both parties and analyze the powers of both.
Let's say we are negotiating the purchase / sale of pencils; the pencil vendor has a sales plan to sell 100,000 pencils in the current year and is at the end of the year and has 3,000 pencils left to reach the plan. On the other hand, the buyer of pencils needs 5000 pencils and the price required is 10% below the price that the seller offered.
If the buyer knows the seller's needs to come up with his sales plan; it has greater power over the seller. If the seller knows that the buyer needs 5000 pencils why are they going to give them to their customers at Christmas and there is only one month left and it is difficult to get 5000 units of anything, this seller also has some power over the buyer.
So if the buyer or seller plays the role of a third person, perhaps they can get more information from the parties and propose a win-win solution.
