---
title: "Interests, not positions — Negotiation & Client Management"
description: "Negotiation is everyday work Negotiation is any process where two or more parties with different preferences try to reach agreement. For freelancers…"
url: https://optimizeall.com/learn/negotiation-and-client-management/interests-not-positions
updated: 2026-10-05
---

Negotiation & Client Management · Principled negotiation foundations · lesson 1 of 18 · 14 min

# Interests, not positions

## Negotiation is everyday work

Negotiation is any process where two or more parties with different preferences try to reach agreement. For freelancers, agencies, consultants, account managers and project leaders, it happens constantly: agreeing prices, scope, deadlines, payment terms, resources and priorities. Good negotiators create agreements that are better for both sides and preserve relationships you will need again.

## Principled negotiation

Roger Fisher and William Ury's *Getting to Yes* (from the Harvard Negotiation Project) describes **principled negotiation**, built on four ideas:

1. **Separate the people from the problem.** Be soft on people, firm on the problem. Relationships and substance are different issues.
2. **Focus on interests, not positions.** A position is what someone says they want; an interest is why they want it.
3. **Invent options for mutual gain** before deciding.
4. **Insist on objective criteria** such as market rates, industry standards, precedent or independent benchmarks.

## Positions vs interests

| Position (what they say) | Possible interests (why) |
|---|---|
| "We can only pay 10,000." | Budget approved at a fixed level; fear of overspending; need to show savings to their boss |
| "We need it in four weeks." | Product launch date; trade show; board meeting; seasonal demand (e.g., Ramadan or holiday campaigns) |
| "We want unlimited revisions." | Fear of getting a result they cannot use; past bad experience with an agency |
| "We need a 20% discount." | Internal procurement targets; comparing with a cheaper quote; cash-flow constraints |

When you understand interests, more solutions appear. A client worried about getting an unusable result may be satisfied by a structured review process with two defined revision rounds and a clear acceptance step, rather than "unlimited revisions".

## Uncovering interests: questions to ask

- "Help me understand what's driving the four-week deadline."
- "What would a successful outcome look like for you and your team?"
- "What concerns you most about this project?"
- "How will this be evaluated internally?"
- "What happens if this isn't resolved?"

Listen more than you speak. Summarise what you heard to confirm understanding: "So the key constraint is the budget approved for this quarter, and your main concern is quality for the launch. Is that right?"

## Inventing options

Separate generating options from judging them. Brainstorm with the other side when possible:

- Phase the work (essential scope now, extras next quarter).
- Adjust payment timing (lower upfront, balance after results).
- Trade low-cost items for high-value items (e.g., a longer contract for a lower monthly rate).
- Change the specification to meet the core need at lower cost.

## Objective criteria

Anchoring discussions in fair standards reduces conflict: published rate cards, market benchmarks, the cost of comparable work, industry norms for payment terms, or independent assessments. "Let's look at what similar projects cost" is less confrontational than "My price is final."

## Worked example

*Illustrative.* Rahim runs a small web development agency in Lahore. A UAE-based retailer wants an e-commerce site and says, "Our maximum is $12,000 and we need it in six weeks." Rahim's estimate is $16,000 for their full wish list. Instead of arguing, he asks about interests and learns that the six-week date is for a Ramadan sale and that the budget is fixed for this quarter. He proposes a phase 1 ($11,500, six weeks) covering the catalogue, checkout and campaign landing pages, and a phase 2 next quarter ($5,500) for loyalty features and integrations. Both interests are met: the client launches for the sale within budget, and Rahim secures the full project value over time.

## Where the evidence comes from

The interests-based approach was set out by Roger Fisher and William Ury of the Harvard Negotiation Project in *Getting to Yes* (first published 1981, later editions with Bruce Patton). Its four principles, separate the people from the problem, focus on interests not positions, invent options for mutual gain, and insist on objective criteria, have been widely taught and studied since. Research on "integrative" negotiation (for example the classic orange example, where two parties who both "want the orange" turn out to need the peel and the juice respectively) shows why: when parties share information about priorities, they often find agreements that are better for both than a split-the-difference compromise.

## Hands-on: interests discovery worksheet

```text
Their stated position:          "We need it in three weeks."
Why might they want that?       (list 3+ hypotheses)
  1. A launch event is fixed        2. Their boss promised a date     3. Budget expires this quarter
Questions to test hypotheses:
  "What happens on that date?"  "What's driving the three weeks?"  "If we couldn't hit it, what would matter most?"
Our interests:                   quality, reasonable workload, cash flow, a portfolio piece
Shared interests:                a successful launch; a long-term relationship
Options that meet both:          phased launch (core pages in 3 weeks, rest in 6);
                                 extra resource for a rush fee; simplified scope for the date
Objective criteria to use:       typical timelines for similar projects; published rates; past invoices
```

## Hands-on: using AI to widen your options (not to decide)

```text
I'm negotiating [situation, anonymised]. Their stated position is [X]; mine is [Y].
1. List plausible underlying interests for each side (label them as hypotheses).
2. Suggest 10 options that could satisfy both sides' interests, including trades across
   scope, timing, payment terms, risk-sharing and non-monetary items.
3. Suggest objective criteria we could both accept.
Do not assume facts I haven't given; flag what I should ask.
```

Treat the output as brainstorming. The other side's real interests come only from asking them and listening. Do not paste confidential client information into tools whose terms allow training on inputs.

## Common mistakes

- Arguing over positions until someone gives in.
- Treating the other party as an opponent rather than a partner in solving a problem.
- Assuming the other side's interests without asking.
- Jumping to the first solution.
- Mixing relationship issues with substantive ones ("If you respected us, you'd accept this price").

## Quick self-check

Think of a negotiation you have coming up. Write the other side's likely position, then list at least three possible interests behind it. What question will you ask to test which interests are real?

## Quick practice

Next time someone makes a firm demand, at work or at home, pause and ask one "why" question before responding. Notice how often the answer reveals a solution you had not considered.

## Video lecture: Interests, not positions

Lecture coming soon · 12 chapters · about 8 minutes. Read the full transcript below.

1. Interests, not positions
2. Why it matters
3. Principled negotiation
4. The doctor analogy
5. Uncovering interests
6. Worked example 1: Emily in Bristol (illustrative)
7. Options and criteria
8. Worked example 2: Khalid in Riyadh (illustrative)
9. Separate people from the problem
10. Watch me: interests worksheet + AI brainstorm
11. Common mistakes
12. Recap and try this now

## Lecture transcript

### Interests, not positions

Two siblings are arguing over the last orange in the kitchen. Each says, I want the orange. So a parent cuts it in half. Fair, right? Except one sibling wanted the juice, and the other wanted the peel to bake a cake. Each could have had all of what they actually needed. That old story, often used in negotiation teaching, is the heart of this lecture. You'll learn the difference between positions and interests, how to uncover interests with good questions, how to invent options that work for both sides, and how to use objective criteria so agreements feel fair.

### Why it matters

Why does this matter? Because most everyday negotiations, over fees, deadlines, scope and payment terms, get stuck on positions. We need it in three weeks. Our budget is ten thousand. We don't pay deposits. If you argue positions, one side wins and the other loses, or you split the difference and both lose a little. If you understand the interests behind them, you can often design an agreement that's better for both. Here's the key idea. A position is what someone says they want. An interest is why they want it.

### Principled negotiation

This approach comes from Roger Fisher and William Ury of the Harvard Negotiation Project, in their book Getting to Yes, first published in 1981. It has four principles. First, separate the people from the problem: be soft on people and hard on the problem. Second, focus on interests, not positions. Third, invent options for mutual gain before deciding. And fourth, insist on objective criteria, meaning standards independent of either side's will, like market rates or past precedent. Research on integrative negotiation, where parties share information about their priorities, supports the idea: they often find deals better for both than a simple compromise.

### The doctor analogy

Here's an analogy. Think of a doctor and a patient who says, I need antibiotics. That's a position. A good doctor doesn't just say yes or no. They ask, what symptoms do you have, how long, what's worrying you? The interest might be getting well before an important trip. Once the doctor understands that, they have many options: rest and fluids, a different treatment, a follow-up call before travel. Negotiation works the same way. You treat the position as a symptom, and diagnose the interest underneath. Then you have options, not a stand-off.

### Uncovering interests

So how do you uncover interests? Ask open, curious questions. What's driving that deadline? What happens if we miss it? What would a great outcome look like for you? What's most important to you here, and what's less important? Help me understand how you arrived at that budget. Then listen, and summarise what you heard. Also, look for shared interests, like a successful launch or a long-term relationship, and different priorities, which are great news, because they create room to trade. If fast delivery matters more to them and cash flow matters more to you, there's a deal to be made.

### Worked example 1: Emily in Bristol (illustrative)

A simple worked example, illustrative. Emily, a web designer in Bristol, gets a message: we need the new site in three weeks, and your six-week timeline won't work. Position against position. Instead, she asks, what's happening in three weeks? The client explains: a trade show, where they'll hand out cards with the web address. Now the interest is clear. They need a credible site at that address by the show, not the whole site. Emily proposes a phased launch: a polished five-page site in three weeks, and the full site with blog and case studies three weeks later. Both are happy, and nobody compromised quality.

### Options and criteria

Now inventing options. Separate inventing from deciding. Brainstorm first, judge later. Look for trades across issues: scope, timing, payment terms, contract length, risk-sharing, and non-monetary items like a testimonial or a referral. Look for low-cost, high-value items: things that are cheap for you but valuable to them, and the reverse. Then use objective criteria to choose between options: market rates, published price lists, typical timelines, past invoices, or an independent benchmark. Criteria make agreements feel fair, and they let people agree without losing face.

### Worked example 2: Khalid in Riyadh (illustrative)

Now a realistic scenario, illustrative. Khalid runs a small agency in Riyadh. A retail client insists: our budget is fifteen thousand riyals a month, no more. Khalid's proposal is twenty thousand. Instead of arguing, he asks what the budget covers and how it was set. He learns it's approved per quarter, and that the marketing manager is measured on in-store footfall during Ramadan and the national holidays. So he proposes options. A base retainer at fifteen thousand with a reduced scope, plus a campaign fee for peak seasons from a separate budget line. Or a performance bonus tied to agreed footfall metrics. The client chooses the first. Khalid's annual revenue from the account ends up higher than his original proposal.

### Separate people from the problem

Let's go back to the first principle, separating the people from the problem, because it's what keeps interest-based negotiation from feeling soft. You can be warm and respectful towards the person while being firm about the substance. In practice, that means acknowledging emotions, like, I can see this deadline is putting real pressure on your team. It means describing problems, not blaming people: the content arrived two weeks late, rather than, you were late. And it means sitting on the same side of the table, literally or figuratively, facing the problem together. Try saying, how can we both get what we need here? It's remarkable how often that single sentence lowers the temperature.

### Watch me: interests worksheet + AI brainstorm

Watch me prepare with the interests worksheet from the lesson, and a little AI help. Their position: we need it in three weeks. I write three hypotheses for why: a fixed launch event, a boss's promise, or a budget deadline. Then the questions to test each. Our interests: quality, a reasonable workload, cash flow and a portfolio piece. Shared interests: a successful launch. Then I paste an anonymised version into an AI assistant and ask for plausible interests on both sides and ten options, including trades across scope, timing and payment. It suggests a rush fee option and a reduced-scope option I hadn't considered. I treat them as brainstorming. The real interests come from asking the client.

### Common mistakes

Let's list the common mistakes. Treating the first demand as fixed. Arguing about positions until someone gives in. Splitting the difference by reflex, which rewards whoever started most extreme. Assuming you know their interests without asking. Deciding on the first option instead of generating several. Getting personal, rather than separating the people from the problem. And treating AI suggestions as facts about the other side, when they're only hypotheses to test.

### Recap and try this now

Let's recap. Positions are what people say they want. Interests are why. Use curious questions to uncover interests, look for shared interests and different priorities, invent several options before deciding, and use objective criteria to choose fairly. AI can help you brainstorm interests and options, but only real conversations reveal the other side's actual interests. Your try this now: take one current negotiation, fill in the interests worksheet, write three questions to ask, and list at least five options. Next, we'll learn BATNA, reservation points and the zone of possible agreement.

## Key takeaways

- Principled negotiation: separate people from the problem, focus on interests, invent options, use objective criteria.
- Positions are what people ask for; interests are why. Solutions come from interests.
- Uncover interests with open questions and confirm by summarising.
- Use fair standards such as market rates and benchmarks to reduce conflict.
- AI can brainstorm possible interests and options, but only real questions and listening reveal the other side's actual interests.

## Try it

For an upcoming negotiation, write the other side's position, list at least three possible interests, and prepare three open questions to explore them.

- [Next: BATNA, reservation points and ZOPA](https://optimizeall.com/learn/negotiation-and-client-management/batna-reservation-zopa)
- [All lessons of Negotiation & Client Management](https://optimizeall.com/learn/negotiation-and-client-management)