How to Negotiate Salary

Your dream employer is interested in hiring you and all that lies in the way now is to negotiate your salary. You want to be sure that you get what you are worth, but at the same time you don’t want to lose this huge job opportunity. So how so you go about successfully negotiating your salary?

Getting what your worth is not an impossibility if you do a little homework ahead of time and know what you are doing going into the negotiations. Here are some vital tips on how to successfully negotiate your salary:

• Research the company: This is a step all too often overlooked. You need to know going into negotiations the financial state that the company is in. If they are in great shape financially you probably have more room to work as far as salary goes.
• Research your industry: Find out what other companies in the industry you are going for are paying for your particular position. Of course some will be higher and some will be lower, but this will give you a great average and a great place to start.
• Ask about benefits: Benefits should also be factored into how much you are willing to take. The dollar amount may be off of what you are expecting, but if you get perks such as a company car, an expense account, health insurance, and a 401 K plan, you may actually be able to take less as the perks will make up for the lesser dollar amount. Be sure to discuss perks so that they know that you are going to require more money if the perks are too few.
• Avoid salary talk beforehand: Make sure that the company is seriously interested in hiring you before you spit out any solid numbers for salary. If the company really wants you this plays to your advantage. If asked about it before hand, counter with a question of your own, such as ‘What is the salary range here?’ This will avoid the numbers talk too early and give you some sort of indication on where you should try to aim for.
• Don’t lie: Never lie about your past salary. A quick reference check can return the fact that you lied about it and that will do you absolutely no good. Be honest about what you made in the past if asked and remember, you are either worth what you asking or you are not.
• Throw a high ball: Always ask for more that you will settle for. By doing so you leave room for negotiating to actually take place. If you come in at the number you actually want then the company needs only counter your offer once and you are already under what you want. A word of caution here, don’t get too crazy. If you high ball a number that is too ‘out of the ballpark’ you may not get a counter offer at all and you will thus blow the whole deal.

Finally, you have to try to control the situation. Be firm but don’t be demanding and remember that if you don’t ask for what you are worth then chances are you probably won’t get it.

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