Margot Carmichael Lester of Monster.com recently quoted Carol Frohlinger’s response to the question:
“What are the common mistakes regarding negotiating salary in tough times and how can they be avoided?”
The most common mistake (and the one that will do you in every time) is a failure to plan for both the facts and the feelings:
- Be clear about what you want and be prepared to justify it.
Know what the market rate is for someone with your skills and experience in your geographic area. Consider the pushback you may get and be ready to deal with it in a professional way. Practice the conversation with a friend.
- Get in the right frame of mind.
Think about the contributions you’ve made and how they’ve helped the company─ you’ve got to go into the salary negotiation feeling like you deserve to hear “yes”.