network & telecom

Win-Wins Are Hard Without Knowing the Other Side’s Motivation

Network & Telecom One of the first stories you learn in training to be a negotiator is the parable of the two chefs and the last orange they both need for their respective signature dishes.

After almost coming to blows, the head chef makes them split it in half. And one grudgingly cooks his dry and bland duck a l’orange with half as much orange juice as he needs; while the other cries over dessert with half as much orange rind marmalade as he wants. A classic lose-lose deal borne out of negotiating positions rather than underlying interests.

Similarly, while experienced buyers and sellers of IT services can negotiate a great bargain, often it amounts to getting 55% of the orange. It is only by working hard to understand the other side’s deep-rooted interests that you can begin to get to a true win-win instead of a zero-sum game.

Network & Telecom In this two-part series, we examine what both buyers and sellers miss about the other side’s motivations, and how they can come together for a better long-term fit.