Thoughts on Salary Negotiation

Discussions about compensation generally fall into four areas: how much money did you earn last year, how much money are you currently earning, what are your salary expectations, and how much money will it take for you to come on board.

• When asked "What are your salary expectations?" you might say "Salary is just one of the elements that I look at, it's not the only element [pause]. What I would like to do here is to find out a little bit more about the position [pause]." [optional] "How much do you think the position is worth? [pause] Do you ever make any exceptions to $$$?"
• When asked "How much money will it take for you to come on board"? The best answer is often a question. "Are you making me a formal job offer [pause]?" This probing technique will clearly demonstrate your strong communication skills and make you a very desirable candidate.
• If the hiring manager says, "Yes, we are seriously considering making you an offer." You might consider saying, " Great, I am looking forward to joining your team [pause]. How much do you think the position is worth [pause]?"
• When asked "How much money are you currently earning?" Always be direct and consider a follow-up question. "I am currently earning a $95,000.00 base salary. Last year, I earned $120,000.00 with bonuses. This year I am on target for $135,000.00" [pause]. [optional] "How much do you think this position is worth?"
• When asked "How much money did you earn last year?" Always be direct. Do not give excuses. "I earned $110,000.00 last year. What that does not show is that I was the #1 new-business salesperson in the western region." If last years earnings were poor, consider these approaches: talk about past successes, earnings in previous years, your ranking relative to others in the region, or how many new accounts you opened, etc. For example, "Although, I did not make my numbers last year, I can verify earnings between $185,000.00 and $240,000.00 for the last three years."
• Finally, when asked "How much money did you earn last year?" Again, always be direct. Stay away from expressions like "At plan I am earning $230,000.00" This automatically raises a red flag for an interviewer. Not answering questions directly (re. performance and earnings) always highlights a candidate NOT attaining their goals.

Last Minute Negotiations

• As always, it is of paramount importance to reiterate your strong interest in the position before asking for any additional compensation. As an example: "I want to reiterate my strong interest in the position we have been discussing. This is not a deal breaker -- I want to work here! It will make my decision easier -- is it possible that we can include a 3 month draw until I get started?"