How to Negotiate Your Best Offer

You’ve found your dream job and you’ve received an offer, now what? Well, it is time to negotiate, because no matter how excited you are about the job, you still have to secure your financial future. 

Here are my three tips for negotiating the best offer.

Related: How to Approach Money Conversations in a Job Search

1. Study Up On Salaries and Compensation

It all starts with research. Experts warn you could be leaving cash on the table if you don’t check salaries on specific job search engines first. Remember: Work is an exchange of time, effort, and skill for income. So, before you decide on your “ask,” make sure you understand industry standards. 

David Paykin has over 2.5 million followers on social media for his job searching tips. He suggests doing research across several sites like Levels.fyi, Indeed, and Glassdoor to get a sense of the salary ranges.

2. Negotiate the Whole Package Simultaneously

This advice comes from a Harvard Business School professor of negotiation, Deepak Malholtra. You might be willing to give a little on salary in exchange for perks or job flexibility. Consider the whole package and don’t get into the position of needing to keep saying, “And one more thing…”

3. Use Pleasant Persistence

Famous FBI hostage negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss, offers this last tip. People are six times more likely to give you what you want if they like you. So, be persistent and pleasant throughout your negotiations. Chris says, nobody likes a jerk.

Once you’ve negotiated the job with the salary and perks you want, don’t just drop these three tips. You can use them to negotiate just about anything in life. 

If you have questions about the comp package you’re negotiating, we’re here to help. You can schedule a free consultation at the link below.