Win-win negotiation.
Choose three deal terms and submit an offer. Your goal is to give both people more value than walking away. You have three offers per scenario.
Agree on a deal that gives both sides more than walking away.
Win this scenario: you need more than 43 points and your partner needs more than 40. You have up to 3 offers.
- 1Choose three terms.
Select one option in each group below. Each option shows points for you and your partner.
- 2Add and compare.
Add your three values, then theirs separately. Each total must beat that person’s walk-away value to win.
- 3Submit, read, adjust.
“Submit offer” uses one attempt and reveals the result. Change your terms after feedback and try again.
Walk-away value means the points someone keeps if no deal is agreed. It is a comparison point, never added to an offer. Matching it is “even”; earning less is a “lose”. You win only when both gain.
See a scoring example — not part of this scenario
Example offer: your terms give 20 + 15 + 10 = 45 points. If your walk-away value is 40, you gain 5.
Your partner’s terms give 10 + 18 + 10 = 38 points. With a walk-away value of 40, they lose 2 and decline. That is win–lose, even though your score is higher. Change the terms until both totals beat their own alternatives.
The launch partnership
You need a website before launch. A small studio can make room, but wants to avoid a long support commitment.
Client
A fast launch matters most. Your team can handle routine support.
Studio
The studio values a clean handover. An early delivery is possible for the right package.
Choose one option in each of the three groups.
You are the Client. Read both point values before choosing. A filled circle marks a term in your draft; changing a selection does not use an offer.
Your score = your three option values added together. Your partner’s score uses their values. Points describe preferences, not money.
Submitting uses one attempt. You have 3 left. “Walk away” ends this scenario and keeps your 43-point alternative.
A win is relative to your next best option.
Here, “win” means earning more than your walk-away value; “lose” means less; “even” means exactly the same. Labels always list you first, then your partner. An offer can benefit both people because they value the terms differently.
All preferences are visible in this exercise. Real negotiation may require discovery, trust and careful attention to options outside the deal.
About Win-win negotiation
Made by Malav Joshi. A place to practise and understand the decisions behind the game.
What counts as a win-win deal?
Both people must receive more points than their own walk-away option. Giving one side a bigger score than the other is not automatically unfair: their preferences and alternatives differ. The labels always show your result first, then your partner’s.
How can both people gain from the same negotiation?
Trade across issues that you value differently. A fast delivery may matter much more to the buyer than extended support, while a short support commitment matters more to the supplier. Changing the package can increase both sides’ value without splitting every issue down the middle.