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Subject:Re: Getting what I'm worth From:kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 9 Aug 2001 13:56:50 -0700
Dave wrote:
> Any recommendations on negotiating salary at this stage. I would
> not mind "only" getting the low end of my range, but am concerned about what to
> do if they offer me a bit below my minimum (they have already told me what a
> good bonus plan I might get, as well as other benees).
>
> Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I'd seriously recommend that you try to go to a bookstore tonight and get
a book or two on interviewing and/or negotiating. My faves are ?Knock ?Em
Dead? by Martin Yate and ?Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a
Minute? by Jack Chapman, but there are plenty of others that are good. If
you live in an area with a Barnes and Noble, a Borders, or even a shopping
mall, it's worth the trip.
Every book will tell you that you need to have a gameplan in place for
EVERY scenario you might encounter:
Set a bottom salary in your mind, below which you are unwilling to accept
a position. Then decide what you'll say if they offer you a salary that
is:
A) Below that range
B) Just barely within the range you want
C) Smack in the middle of your "happy" range (Hint: you STILL ask for
more)
D) Higher than you expected (believe it or not, you should STILL ask for
more)
For the scenario that you're most worried about facing (below your
minimum), I've used this tactic (which came from one or both of the books
I mentioned; I forget which):
Repeat the number. Then pause.
Then, turn it around, something like this: "I have to say, I'm surprised
by your offer. Based on what you've told me the responsibilities are for
this position, and the importance of the tasks... <insert appropriate reasoning>, and based on the
research I've done on the job market for this position, it's my
understanding that this job should pay somewhere between X and Y..."
(bigger numbers, obviously). I guess maybe I misunderstood what you were
looking for. I'm afraid I couln't accept a position for <the number they offered>.
(now the hard part) Then, get up and excuse yourself (or politely end the
phone call), unless this has caused a sudden burst of
explanation/rationalization on their part.
It takes nerve to walk away from an offer, but if you say the right thing
before walking out, they'll chase you and raise their offer. Or they'll
call you back VERY soon (my call came 5 minutes later). Or they may not
call. I've done this successfully once, but boy, it's nerve-wracking!
It's a tricky maneuver, and you should arm yourself with the best
techniques you can find.
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