Quick Start for Salary Negotiation

A friend recently asked me for some advice or tips on how to negotiate a salary. They are no expert at salary negotiation and would like to get better.
I have an extensive background in salary negotiation, and have participated in dozens and dozens of interviews and negotiated many salaries very successfully. I'd be happy to share what I see is a quick outline for the approach that can help you achieve significant salary negotiating results.
What follows here is a great set of introductory strategies, however there are many approaches to salary negotiation. It is very important for those looking for a higher salary to have the full picture. You need to know all the relevant strategies for salary negotiation to be successful. You may be faced with objections and have negotiation hurdles to overcome.
I can't address it all tactics here, but I am willing to give a brief overview of the best possible salary negotiation approach.
Lets have a rundown of some of the basic steps.
1) Be diligent in your job market research to find out the perceived value of the role you are going to fill. Check with some common salary web sites like salaryexpert.com or salary.monster.com or payscale.com for those.
2) Document all the things you can where you have added value to the business or employer. Pay special attention to tasks you do that are above the call of duty.
3) Figure out where you stand compared to other personnel in your company. This will take a bit of investigative research on your part. Ask some friends. Lately it seems more acceptable these days to discuss salary. Just be careful not to offend your colleagues.
4) Be strategic about timing, and sow the seed in your employer's mind. Approach them when they are available and not when they are rushed off to their next meeting or out the door for the weekend.
5) Ask if you can discuss salary when it is a good time for them, and then ask for your increase. You should be confident about your request because you've done your research and built your case.
6) Make sure you've conscientiously rehearsed through some objections and have thought out your responses to the objections. There is always a way to keep the salary negotiation on a win-win path.
7) It can get discouraging in salary negotiatiosn, but do your best to maintain your high self confidence. Never give an ultimatum when negotiating salary because you may be forced to act on it. You don't want to find yourself looking further for another job.
There are many ways you can approach an employer for salary negotiation. Make sure you do so with tact and keen awareness of pitfalls and challenges you may face. Its crucial to steer away from landmines in order to come out ahead and negotiate the best salary for yourself.
A very common strategy is to wait for the employer to address the topic of salary first. They may reveal their acceptable salary range, or they will outright ask you what your preferred range is. It is best to leave this as late in the process as you can.
Another strategy that I prefer is when receiving an offer that you're not very happy with is to ask the question, is this the best possible salary you can offer me at this time? When followed up with silence, the employer is left scrambling to say something. If the answer is yes, you can discuss why it cannot be accepted, and that you believe your value proposition is worth more. If the answer is no, immediately ask if it is possible for them to offer you your top salary request.
Whatever you do, make sure you support your case with facts and value statements that you can back up. Be prepared for the unexpected, and always leave the door open to re-negotiate if you don't close the deal on a given day. That will ensure you can come back and work towards an end that meets the needs of both sides.
To your total negotiating success.

Trevor Davide Grant is a project manager in the IT field and has extensive experience in salary negotiation. Trevor has worked for large telecom, electric utilities, IT consulting, and a prominent web 2.0 website. He has learned how to negotiate compensation in the most effective way. Learn great tips on the topic of salary negotiations at www.HowToNegotiateASalary.com

Article Source: http://www.c3careerarticles.com

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