Salary Negotiation Tips That Yield Lucrative Results
Running an executive recruiting firm specializing in staffing marketing, sales and media, there are a few tips I would give to any job seeker looking to negotiate their salary. These tips are from perceptions of the salary negotiation tendencies of some of the latest job seekers whom we’ve worked with.
Analyzing from a third party standpoint has showed me what really works with salary negotiation and what any professional should avoid.
1. Don’t Negotiate Your Salary Too Hard – If it’s only a few thousand dollars, don’t spend forever going back and forth with a potential employer. Eventually, this type of negotiation looks unprofessional, gets old to the employer and can lose the job for the applicant.
2. Understand That the Market is Hard to Predict – Predicting the job market can be a very difficult thing and job seekers who are unaware of what other, competing firms are offering can ask for way too little or way too much – both of which reflect poorly on the job seeker.
Do your research prior to asking for a salary number.
3. Speak in Ranges Rather Than Exact Numbers – To give an exact number to a potential employer is much less advantageous than giving them a range, thus putting the ball in their court.
When you give a number that is exact you also risk looking like an amateur if you’re off and, regardless of level, job seekers are often a miss when it comes to the market and their worth (sometimes more, other times they undersell).
4. Salary Negotiation Does Not Have to Be Contentious – The best negotiators discuss; the worst salary negotiators act unprofessionally and are argumentative.
What It All Boils Down To
When negotiating any salary at any level you must weigh how much you want a particular job vs. how flexible you are willing to be on a particular salary. Easier said than done, but hopefully the above tips should give you a fresh perspective for the next time you find yourself negotiating any salary.
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