Salary Negotiation - Salary Negotiation Strategies

What could be more important? And, how many people go into these negotiations unprepared and unready.

That awful question: "And, how much do you want?" - which of course should NEVER be answered - can really be a disaster. You don't want this to happen to you. And this is why you need a career coach guiding you through this process.

I'm the person to guide you through the steps that will create a smooth and effective process, giving you the optimum opportunity to nail the best compensation package possible.

Here are some basics for you to consider:
The first person to mention money - will lose. Postpone talk of money as long as possible, remembering that compensation comes in many currencies.

Think about these tips:

You are actually not prepared to talk about salary until you know what the job actually is
Never try to "close" too soon
Look carefully at the whole package, having figured out what you actually do make now - including any perks (parking, transportation reimbursements, club memberships, paid - for attendance at conferences and seminars, continuing education classes - and on and on - especially the bonus structure that is satisfactory to you)
Keep your tone collaborative, for when you reach the time of money discussions you are really on the same side of the table - they want you
Remember that there is great power in positioning, so be sure that you can effectively differentiate yourself from any competition
The salary negotiation discussion is a strategic - not tactical
Upgrade the job if you can, adding responsibilities that are in your realm of expertise

When negotiating the whole compensation package, be sure:

To have researched the company's pay scale and particularly the typical pay scale within your industry
Know what you want and what you are willing to do without
Negotiate only one point at a time
Talk base pay first and then any points you are reasonably sure that the employer would agree to
Save any issues of conflict until the last
Go ahead and be prepared to back away from, or not even bring up, issues that aren’t important to you

Be very clear in your own mind just exactly what it is that you want, being sure to include bonus money and all perks. Remember again that they have already decided they want you, and in some cases it will be quite evident that they need you more than you need them. Look carefully at the whole package.

Prepare in advance, in your own mind, just what your response to an offer might be. In today's marketplace, for instance, six month severance packages are quite common; so be sure to have researched this possibility.

Today everyone needs to think of themselves as a consultant and a temporary. The time of an organization's loyalty to the individual is long gone. This makes compensation negotiation all the more important. Remind yourself that you yourself are an entity unto yourself - something like Me, Incorporated. In the New World of Work, an individual can expect many job and career changes over the span of a work lifetime. Nothing is forever. So it helps a lot if each negotiation is done with as much sophistication and finesse as possible. Negotiation is a stepping stone on your career ladder, and if done successfully will make a resume impact that will serve you well over time.

Do you need help with salary negotiation? The answer is most definitely that you do, and I've helped many professionals through this process. I would like for you to be one of them.

E-mail beth@bethross.com. Or call toll-free: 1-800-496-0996.