Let the Other Side Win If You Want to Negotiate a Truly Great Business Deal
Letting the other guy win big now will help you win big later
By | Chris Estey | www.entrepreneur.com
A customer from nearly 25 years ago found me on LinkedIn one day and called to ask if we could do business again. He was in a field similar to the one he was in when we first met, which, I told him, was not a business I really engaged in anymore.
“I don’t care,” he insisted. “It’s got to be you. How can we do business together?”
Some business owners attempt to get ahead by taking advantage of their customers, but I’ve always followed a modified version of the win-win principle: I win by letting them win. Now, I’m answering phone calls from this man and many others that could result in millions of dollars worth of business because, years ago, I made sure they won.
When people get so wrapped up in winning or fear losing in a negotiation, they give up something bigger and far more valuable. By letting the other side win, ultimately, you win too.