Five Key Negotiation Strategies to Maximize a Salary Offer
1. Take some time to consider a salary offer. Ask for at least
24 to 48 hours. Silence is golden - or it can become so - when
you just let it hang there awhile following an initial offer.
Don't rush to fill the quiet void!
2. Weigh any offer against the company's expectations of you in
the position rather than your personal needs. The company has
put itself on the line with its offer. Rest assured they have a
cap, but you may have some wiggle room based upon how much value
the company perceives you can bring them.
3. Prior to any job interview, compare salaries for similar
positions. Websites such as www.salary.com offer tools for
research. Knowing your own worth and why a company would want to
hire you, gives you bargaining power. A salary offer itself is
testament to the fact that the company perceives your value.
4. Write a "counter-offer" letter thanking the company for its
offer to you, recap why they say they want you, and
enthusiastically proclaim your desire to join their team
provided they reconsider the amount of their offer. Accept the
risk involved with this approach and be prepared to walk away if
it doesn't work.
5. Know when it's no longer in your best interest to keep
negotiating and then move on to the next opportunity. Usually,
if the situation doesn't feel quite right, it isn't. You won't
be happy working wherever you feel you are the proverbial square
peg in a round hole - especially if you feel you were taken
advantage of.