The Rules of Open-Door Negotiating

There are several rules to observe in the game of open-door negotiating if you want to play it well:

• Try to postpone the salary discussion until a job offer has been made or until you are in a second interview.
• Do not be the first one to mention an exact amount of money, no matter how many ways the interviewer tries to get you to inform him or her of what you earned or what
you wish to earn in the future.
• Speak in terms of ranges of salary rather than using exact figures.
• Postpone saying no to an offer until you are sure you have all the information.
• Postpone saying yes to an offer until you are sure you have all the information.
• Postpone, postpone, postpone. There is no reason to rush a salary discussion, especially when that discussion could add 15 to 20 percent to your earnings. Be patient.

Finally, remember that your base pay is not the only thing you’re negotiating for. You’re actually negotiating for a full compensation package that may include a sign-on bonus, extra benefits and perks, and many other features we’ll talk about later in this chapter.
Let’s move on to an actual blow-by-blow account of a salary negotiation.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job