Our 7 most common negotiation questions, answered
Happy holidays, friends!
Happy holidays, friends!
Over the past few weeks in our recent Q&A sessions and client work, the same handful of questions came up again and again. We pulled together short, practical answers as a quick reference, in case any of these applies to you right now:
1️⃣ "If I’m happy with the first offer, do I still need to negotiate?"
Yes. Negotiating is a common business practice, especially for people with multiple job offers or facing limitations like needing to work fully remotely. Companies often account for this by offering initial offers that are less than what they can ultimately afford. As a result, not negotiating almost certainly guarantees you’re leaving money on the table.
2️⃣ "What should I do when the company says they have a policy where they can only send an official offer once we agree on the comp?"
Don't take them at face value and only negotiate until you have an official written offer, which is the point in the entire negotiation process where you have the most leverage (when you receive the formal offer letter, they've put everyone else on pause until you say yes or no).
3️⃣ "What should I do if the company says they don’t negotiate offers?”
Again, don't take them at face value. If the candidate has leverage (e.g. has competing offers) and has protected that leverage throughout the interview process (e.g. avoided sharing details about those other offers), companies make exceptions all the time.
Our recent clients include those with offers from top AI companies that have strong public stances that they never negotiate, and even they increased their offers when they felt they might lose the candidate to a competitor.
4️⃣ "How do you recommend responding if I’m asked an illegal question such what my compensation is/was at my current/last job?"
Assume best intent and politely deflect.
5️⃣ "How many times can you negotiate?"
There is no magic number, but there are ways to know when you’ve reached the end.
6️⃣ "When I ask for more, should it be a percentage of my salary or an absolute number?"
Neither.
7️⃣ "Does negotiating make me seem greedy, selfish, uncooperative, or pushy?"
No, companies expect that you'll negotiate. Negotiating is a core business skill in today's corporate environment.
In fact, if you say yes without negotiating, that might raise flags that you may do the same with customers, business partners, investors, etc and that you lack the ability to advocate for your work, the team, and the company.
As always, every negotiation is a little different. If you need more tailored advice for your situation, book a call with Alex here!
Best,
Gerta & Alex
Cofounders, YourNegotiations.com
P.S. Are you job searching or have upcoming negotiations?
Book a free call with us, where we’ll learn more about your situation, offer some free tips, and explore if we’re a good fit to work together: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call
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