How to negotiate salary during a job offer over the phone?

Skytide, I have been in Administration for more than 7 years and most people don't realize how easy it is to get what they really want when it comes to negotiating salary but I'm going to let you in on a little secret to the rules of getting what you want. Remember you don't have to be an expert negotiator to get a better deal; you just need to know the rules and strategies of negotiating. 1. The first thing you should do is research. The greatest tool in any negotiation is information. You may want to go to www.salary.com where you will find helpful information on what employers are willing to pay for the job you will be doing. 2. If they offer you less than what you expected, make sure you thank the interviewer for the job, offer and express your interest in the job and the company, but ask for some time to consider all the details. If after you’ve given it some thought and the offer is unacceptable to you, it is then and only then that you should proceed with the negotiating process, which brings me to #3. 3. Negotiations: Remember that you'll have your greatest negotiation leverage between the time the employer makes the original offer and the time you accept the final offer. Once you’ve accepted an offer, you have little to no room to negotiate so be sure when you accept. 4. Always ask for a higher salary (within acceptable limits) than you are willing to accept so that when the employer counters your proposal, the salary should be near your original goal. 5. What to say if you like the offer but want more money: “I am very interested in working with you and your company; however I was hoping for an offer in the range of 52k – 56k since I will bring __ years of experience and skills to this position. Does this sound reasonable to you?” (Don’t ask the question in a way that they can just say “No”, ask in this way that will make them think about raising the offer and I guarantee you will get what you want or at least very close to it.) 6. What to say if the offer is totally unacceptable: “I am still very interested in working with you and your company; however (never use the word “but”), at this point I am not able to accept because the offer is much less than what my skills and experience will bring to this position (explain the skills that make you worth more, references also help). If you were able to offer 52k, I would gladly accept the position immediately. Does this sound like a reasonable salary to you?” Remember, only say this if the offer is unacceptable. Skytide I wish you the best on your new venture, follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to a higher offer.

Ok - this is the way it works...I used to work in HR and was the person that made and negotiated the offers to people. When it says 45-55....55 is tops...they cannot offer you any higher than that for this particular job. Therefore, if they start you at 55, the only way that you can get a raise is through promotion which is not always possible. Generally, raises come from review time. If you don't meet 100% of the qualifications, that means that there is still growing room for you and it wouldn't make sense that they offer you the position at $55K. To be honest, they can prob get someone else that's just as qualified and get him/her for the price they want to start the pay at if you're not going to take the job. I would say that you are negotiable. Then they will ask you how much you currently make and you can tell them. When telling them your current salary, don't inflate the amount too much because if they are in HR....they know job salaries and know if you are bs-ing.

The first thing to keep in mind is that when an employer says $45 to $55k, they are going to make 90% of their offers in the $45-$48k range. Only those people who fit the job EXACTLY will get the upper range. Here is how you approach it: Recruiter: We are happy to offer you the position at an annual salary of $45,000. You: Wow, that's great! I am so excited! My only concern is the salary, are you open to negotiation? Then wait and see what they say. Keep in mind that no matter what you say, they will come back at a lower figure. Also keep in mind that the recruiter (hr person) is basing your salary on your past wages. It is really rare to go from $45k to $52 k unless you have made close to that in the past. Additionally, you have to look at total compensation. Paid time off, health insurance and retirement contributions. Those really should be included in your mind as extra wages. Good luck and I hope you get the offer of your dreams!

There are many ways to play this, but I've been successful in similar circumstances by doing this: First, tell them you appreciate the offer and you would really like to work there, but... is there any way they could come up on the salary a little? Then add that while you'd really like to come to work for a company that you could stay with until you're ready to retire, you're afraid that if you took the salary they're offering, you might be distracted or tempted to leave down the road just because someplace else is offering a little more money. Then, if possible, let them come back with a new offer. It might surprise you, and the last thing you'd want to do is say you'd do it for less than they were willing to pay. Remember that for most (but not all) companies, the initial offer is lower than they are actually willing to pay. They figure if they can get you at a bargain, good for them - kind of like buying a car, you usually know the salesperson will come down off the list price if you negotiate a bit. Salary ranges in job descriptions are usually just ranges to get the negotiations started. If they offered LESS than the low end of the range, I would think something is fishy and probably walk away from the deal. On the other hand, it's rare that someone would get hired at the very top of the range, as well. So, if you DO have to come up with a number for them, they'll usually phrase it something like "What's the minimum you could accept?" My advice is, don't tell them the REAL minimum number. In your case, at this point I would tell them something like "well, $55k would definitely be acceptable" and then pause just a second, so they can say "Ok" if they're inclined to. But if they don't, then add "But I understand that's at the top of the range - could you do something a little less than that, say $52k or $53k?" and see what they say. If you get what you ask for, great! If they offer less than what you asked for, you'll just have to decide if you can live with what they offer or not. But I would advise against getting too deep into haggling. A little negotiation is expected; a counter offer or two is usually fine. But if you start sounding like an auctioneer calling out bids, they may find you insincere and lose interest. Bottom line is, let them offer first, show interest, ask them to come up a little higher, and then meet them where you can live with the salary. And never be afraid to ask a little higher than you think you can get, at least to start with. You may be surprised at what you get.

In my opinion, you are stupid. You do not, I repeat, do NOT, talk about a job, over the phone. If you give any info, the bastard wants, then you are killing yourself. Talk to the man, in person!!!!!!

reach down deep , grab a handful of nuts and be a man. dont be scared. you dont have to lie to kick it...... if you are worth it and a able to produce then quit bein a sissy. if you are trying to scam , well , give it a shot. you got nothin to leave on the table. maybe it is not for you

Why is there a need to say anything if their offer doesn't correspond with what you have in mind? Afterall, it's the company's loss for not having hired you due to a difference of 5 grand or more.. If you're good, they'll come knocking on your door, with the contract in tow..:)

You cant get more than they think you are worth. DONT tell a company what you think they should pay you, CONVINCE them to want to pay you more. Some one tries to sell you a toaster for 10 bucks, you say you only think its worth 5, then they tell you it has a rocket launcher attachment. Then you'd be all over that, at least I would.

I was in the same boat just recently. As much as I wanted to say YES (I really wanted the job) I asked for the weekend to think about it. I explained that I sensed a real connection with the management and felt very positive about fitting into the position, but needed to consider the longer commute and the difference in tuition reimbursement, etc... An hour later I got a phone call back, they said they did not want to lose me because of money and offered me the salary that was considerably larger. Remember that your employer wants you to be satisfied and comfortable and if you don't get the right compensation at the beginning, you probably won't later.