Trade across issues where each side has different priorities
Give the counterpart what they care most about; get what you care most about — logrolling is only possible when interests differ.
Why it works
Logrolling (trading concessions on low-priority issues for gains on high-priority ones) is the core mechanism of integrative bargaining. It creates value because each party trades something they value less for something they value more — both sides gain relative to their walk-away, producing a larger joint surplus than any positional split would. The mechanism only operates when priorities differ, which is why understanding both sides’ interest rankings is essential.
How to do it
- Identify your top priority issue and which issues matter less to you but more to the counterpart.
- Make an explicit trade: "I’ll accept your terms on X if we can agree on my terms for Y."
- Package trades rather than trading one issue at a time — packages allow more creative combinations and prevent issue-by-issue hardball.
Evidence
Logrolling as an integrative bargaining strategy is among the most studied and most robustly supported tactics in negotiation research. Laboratory studies show consistent joint gain from trading across differently-valued issues. (rct)
Logrolling requires interest disclosure to function — if neither side reveals priorities, trading based on guessed priorities may not produce genuine value for both.
Sources
- Froman & Cohen (1970), early experimental study of logrolling
- Pruitt & Lewis (1975), integrative solution quality in negotiation, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Froman, L. A., & Cohen, M. D. (1970). Compromise and logroll: Comparing the efficiency of two bargaining processes. Behavioral Science, 15(2), 180-183.
Common mistake
Making equal concessions on every issue rather than concentrating concessions where they cost you least and are worth most to the counterpart — equal splitting leaves the logrolling surplus uncaptured.
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More practices for Interests vs. Positions: The Core of Integrative Negotiation
- Ask "why" before proposing any solution
Understand the interest driving a position before generating any solution — solutions invented before interests are understood usually solve the wrong problem.
- Disclose your own interests explicitly — not just your positions
Stating what you actually need — not just what you’re asking for — opens the door to creative solutions you couldn’t have imagined asking for.
- Map interests for both sides before generating solutions
Write down both parties’ known and inferred interests before proposing anything — the map reveals trades that no single position could.
- Identify compatible interests for joint gain
When both sides care about the same thing — quality, reputation, timing — agreements that serve that shared interest outperform splits.
- Distinguish substantive, procedural, and psychological interests
The interest behind a position is often not about the money or the terms — it may be about face, fairness, or control.
Related concepts
- Principled Negotiation, Made Practical
The four-element framework for reaching agreements that hold
- BATNA: Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement
Walk-away power, realistic alternatives, and why your BATNA is your negotiating power
- ZOPA: The Zone of Possible Agreement
Mapping the deal space, identifying overlap, and knowing when no deal is the right outcome
- Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Made Practical
The four components, the mechanisms behind them, and an honest read on the evidence