Lack of preparation is the main reason for lost income and/or benefits. When the time comes to negotiate, the job seeker either spouts out any number or doesn’t say anything and takes the position as offered. If the job seeker would have prepared themselves, they would have secured a higher starting salary. You see, employers NEVER start at their maximum, they leave room for negotiation.
The first and probably the most imperative point to understand about negotiation is, when the deal is completed BOTH parties should be happy. WINNING IS NOT EVERYTHING! It isn’t like negotiating a car purchase, where you definitely negotiate to win, you will never have to speak to the car sale representative again. How you conduct yourself during salary negations will set the stage for your long-term business relationship.
It is important to stay calm, do not get emotional or argumentative. Be sincere and reasonable with your points. When you are going into a negotiation session have clear, concise ideas about what is important to you and what you would like to see in the job offer. You will not get everything you want, so keep your most important objectives in mind. When you are presenting your case, ensure that you list one or two strong reasons. If you provide a weak reason this will give the employer a reason to dismiss the item presented.
Many job seekers make the mistake of negotiation before the employer is sold on them. If you do this, you will not be optimizing your compensation package, you may not even get the job.
Instead of demanding something, state a question to the person you are negotiating with, for an example, don’t say, “That is not right, because …” You should phrase it like this, “Your point has some validity to it, but can you look at it from this point of view.” Then the employer will answer they question and may sway to your side of the table. If the company discovers themselves the validity of your point, instead of you telling them, you will be a win situation. The odds are against you, if you tell them their point of view is incorrect.
