How to Negotiate: Plan Ahead for Optimal Success

Assuming you have a case for negotiation, we are covering the actual negotiation in today's blog.

When

As soon as you receive an offer, negotiations can begin. Carefully review the details, including the conditions of employment and the compensation/benefits package. Don’t wait until the end of the acceptance deadline to negotiate as giving the employer ample time to handle your request is a key component of success. Already accepted the offer? Your leverage is gone since you previously agreed to the stated terms of the job. Lastly—only negotiate jobs you would seriously consider accepting.

What

Items up for negotiation (identify your top 1-2; you won’t negotiate for everything on this list!):

• Acceptance deadline
• Starting salary
• Signing bonus
• Relocation assistance
• Start date
• Time off [without pay] for personal needs (example, a family trip—before you’re eligible for vacation time)
• A mid-year performance review with the possibility of a mid-year salary increase

How

You’ve done your homework. You’ve carefully considered all aspects of the job. You know the facts about the salary and benefits. Negotiation is a 5-step approach:

1. Start on a positive note.
2. Reaffirm your interest and fit for the job/company.
3. State your concern.
4. Ask – don’t demand!
5. Be prepared for both yes or no answers.

Pro Tip: Negotiate verbally. Have your facts and your list of questions handy. Then make a phone call to the person who issued your offer.

Sample Script

Employing the “how” steps above, modify this sample script to fit your situation.

1. Begin by re-introducing yourself.

“Hello, this is Ravi Buckeye. I'm a chemical engineering student from Ohio State and I received an offer for Process Engineer from you on October 1^st. I hope you are doing well. I have a couple of questions about the job offer. Is this a convenient time for you to talk?” (If yes, proceed. If not, schedule a time to call back.)

2. Mention positive aspects of the offer.

“I was happy to receive the offer and I'm very interested in it. It seems like an excellent opportunity because (fill in with what you love about the job/company).

3. State circumstance(s) you have for negotiation.

I do have one concern, however. The salary is (fill in salary figure). Given these circumstances…” (include your circumstances and sources of evidence for negotiation—competing job offer that’s higher, offer not matching market rates, cost-of-living differential, and/or something unique & special to offer).

4. State your ask.

“I’m hoping there is flexibility in what the company is able to offer. A salary of X is in alignment with the research that I’ve conducted and mentioned above. I’m happy to share this data if it’s useful in my request.” Pause and wait for their reply.

5. Prepare for varied responses.

Typically, the contact will need to check and get back to you. You will want to be prepared for 3 scenarios. Think through the scenarios to decide how you would handle each.

• They grant your request. The company will expect you to accept in this scenario. But you could say, “That’s great! Thank you. Can I please get the new offer in writing? Can I get back to you tomorrow?”
• They meet you in the middle. Determine if this outcome would be satisfying. Is there another item you might want to ask for in order to make it more so? For example, “I really appreciate you meeting me mid-way. Thank you. This helps. I’m wondering since it wasn’t possible to come up all the way, would you offer relocation assistance to help me affordably make the transition to the city I’ll be moving to? Lastly, I’d love to get the updated offer in writing.”
• They are not able to offer you the salary you are requesting. In this situation, you would want to have 1-2 items that you could request if you are still seriously contemplating this offer. Example, “Thank you for considering my request. Since the salary isn’t flexible, can we discuss a one-time signing bonus and a mid-year performance evaluation as an opportunity to revisit the salary?”

While salary is important, be mindful that your ultimate goal is to find a place where you like what you do, enjoy your co-workers, grow professionally, contribute to the organization, AND succeed financially. Since salary negotiation is very personalized, ECS offers salary negotiation consultations and encourages you to use them when you find yourself in these scenarios.

“You can't always get what you want…But if you try sometimes …you just might find … You get what you need.” – Mick Jagger