When it comes to negotiating your salary, the most important thing to do is not give the first number.
The person who gives the first number sets the starting point. If you request a salary higher than the range for the job, the interviewer will tell you you're high. If you request a salary lower than the range, the interviewer will say nothing.
You can only hurt yourself by giving the first number. You want the interviewer to tell you the range for the position, because then you can work to get the high point of that range. But you can't work to the high point if you don't know it.
Hold Your Ground
So if there are two good salary negotiators in the room, it will be a game to see who has to give the first number. Fortunately, the company cannot make you an offer without also offering a salary, so the cards are stacked in your favor, as long as you hold your ground.
It is hard to avoid giving a salary range when you want the job and you want to make the interviewer like you. But remember that this is a moment when you could be making $1,000 a minute. As long as you stick to your script.
So what you need is a list of responses for the 10 different times the interviewer asks you how much money you expect to make. The more times you can fend off the question, the less likely you will have to be the one to give the first number. This works, even if you feel like you don't actually have the upper hand on the whole.
Some Examples
* "What salary range are you looking for?"
"Let's talk about the job requirements and expectations first, so I can get a sense of what you need."
* "What did you make at your last job?"
"The position you are talking about here is not exactly the same. Let's nail down what my responsibilities would be here and then determine a fair salary for that job."
* "What are you expecting to make in terms of salary?"
"I am interested in finding a job that is a good fit for me. I'm sure whatever salary your paying is consistent with the rest of the market."
* "I need to know what salary you want in order to make you an offer. Can you tell me a range?"
"I'd appreciate it if you could make me an offer based on whatever you have budgeted for this position and we can go from there."
* "Why don't you want to give your salary requirements?"
"I think you have a good idea of what this position is worth to your company, and that's important information for me to know."
Mirror the Interviewer
You can see the pattern, right? If you think you sound obnoxious not answering the question 10 different times, think of how obnoxious it is to ask the question. The interviewer is just asking in order to get a leg up on you in negotiations. If you give in, you look like a poor negotiator, and the interviewer is probably not looking for someone like that.
So stand your ground, and understand that the interviewer is being an insistent as you are, and it might warm your heart to know that research shows that if you mirror the behavior of the interviewer, you are more likely to get the job. Sure, this usually applies to tone of voice, level of enthusiasm and body language, but who is to say that it doesn't apply to negotiation skills as well? Try it. You could come away $10,000 richer.
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