Let’s imagine Wu-lei in another version of the story in which $62,000 was a lot lower than what she had expected.

• If she says, “That’s not acceptable,” she closes the door to any other possibilities.
• If she replies, “How about $68,000?” expecting the employer to counter halfway at about $65,500, she still may be cheating herself out of thousands of dollars a year.

Here are some ways Wu-lei can use open-door negotiating by not mentioning any exact figures. She can respond to the interviewer’s proposed range in a number of ways:

ANSWER: [leans back in her chair for a moment, thinking, then leans forward with direct eye contact] To tell you the truth, I was expecting something somewhat higher.

Or . . .
ANSWER: (Leans back and then forward) I was actually expecting a substantially higher figure.

Or . . .
ANSWER: Thank you, but I’d be much more inclined to accept an offer closer to the seventies or eighties.

Or . . .
ANSWER: Hmm . . . I think I would find the offer more attractive if it were closer to $70,000.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

Also, he does not ask for the salary range for the position. He forces the interviewer to look at what he, as an individual, can contribute. If he had not done this, he may have been offered only $30,000 in base pay. In the space of a moment, he was able to increase the offer by 50 percent. This is a very dramatic case, but it really does happen in this way for many of my clients.

Now that we’ve analyzed Alex’s conversation with the interviewer, lets look at a few examples of how other job candidates have been able to receive optimum compensation. Here’s a story of Wu-lei, a marketing specialist:

QUESTION: What are your salary expectations?
ANSWER: Actually, moving from the semiconductor industry to the clothing industry, it’s very hard for me to judge. Maybe you could let me know what sort of salary range would be expected for a person with my background.

QUESTION: We could start you anywhere between $50,000 and $62,000.
ANSWER: [stands up to shake hands] $62,000 would be fine. When can I start?

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

1. He never mentioned the exact amount of money he made, even when asked twice.
2. He did say he was in the “mid to high range.”
3. He thinks of a reason (for example, it is difficult to compare salaries in a small company with those of a large company). Other reasons could be the following:

• A change of geographic area (for example, from Seattle to Atlanta)
• A change of level of position (for example, from manager to director)
• A change of industry (for example, from travel to telecommunications)
• A change in the type of pay structure (for example, from commission to hourly wages or a salary)

After he establishes that a comparison can’t be made, he turns the question back on the interviewer by saying, “What salary range do you think would be reasonable for a person with my skills?” Notice he still doesn’t ask for an exact number. An exact number would partially “close the door.” Alex crafts his responses so that the door stays open.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

Here are some possible scenarios that illustrate the principles of open-door negotiating and the use of the four bargaining factors. This is the story of Alex, a computer hardware sales engineer:

QUESTION: What are you making right now?
ANSWER: I’m making as good or better than a person of my skills in this geographic area.

QUESTION: Can you give me an exact number?
ANSWER: Well, you know, it’s very difficult to compare what someone in a small company like mine makes with what someone working in a large company like this one would make. Maybe you could tell me what salary range would be reasonable for a person with my skills in this company.

QUESTION: Oh, anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000, plus commissions.
ANSWER: [stands up, puts his hand out for a handshake] $60,000 sounds great. When can I start?

This may sound like it’s all too simple, but it works. This is a very typical salary negotiation for many of my clients. The scenario can certainly unfold in a thousand different ways, but what looks like luck here isn’t. It’s skill. Let’s see what happened and exactly how Alex managed to pull this one off:

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

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

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What Open-Door Salary Negotiation Is Not
I’d like to debunk some commonly held myths by telling you what negotiating is not:

• It is not a cutthroat battle to the finish, where the winner finally gets what he or she wants and the loser storms out and slams the door.
• It is not a balancing of a scale, where the two parties meet right in the middle and neither really gets what he or she wants.

Rather than using the metaphor of a “battle to the finish” or a “balancing of the scales,” I’d like you to think about negotiating in terms of an “open door.” In open-door negotiating, there are no declarations of finality, no threats, and no settling for something mediocre just because it happens to be in the middle. There especially isn’t a passive acceptance of the first offer you get just because you fear you might lose the job if you mention a
higher figure. Open-door negotiating is about creating possibilities, carefully weighing those possibilities, and coming to a civilized agreement.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

Interestingly enough, the interviewer left the room several times and insisted she had gone to her boss and that her boss had gone to the vice president, and that they absolutely refused to budge. But, because Leticia knew how to perform above and beyond the functions listed in the job description, and she had examples to prove it, the company finally caved in, though not without a lot of “drama.”

It may look, in the final hour, as though the employer is about to fall flat on the floor and die before handing you the top rate for your talents, but I haven’t gotten a report of a serious casualty yet. Hold out!

Open-Door Negotiating
Remember Stephan, who doubled his offer and got an expanded benefits package? Like Leticia, he used the techniques of open-door negotiating. Open-door negotiating may not be what you usually think of when you think about striking a bargain with an employer. There’s no threatening behavior, no fists on the desk, no high-pitched voices, and no tones of finality. In fact, it’s important that before I explain what open-door negotiating is, I
tell you what it is not.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

4. Forecast how long you are willing to wait until the negotiation resolves in your favor. Some people feel they can wait only 10 minutes; others, wisely, know that it can actually take weeks before a compensation package is settled. You may need income at this very moment, but the longer you can afford to wait for circumstances to go your way, the greater advantage you will enjoy

Is it worth it to you to spend a couple of hours planning your negotiations if it means earning $20,000 or even $40,000 more a year?

Okay, once you have determined these bargaining factors and learned the techniques of open-door negotiating, having a conversation about your salary will be like a walk in the park.

Leticia’s Story
One of my clients, Leticia, was terrified about negotiating, and she told me that she had spent more than an hour holding her ground and reiterating her value to the company until, Voilà! She managed to go from an initial offer of $37,500 with medical and dental benefits to $51,000 plus bonuses, medical, dental, and vision coverage—plus a 14-day paid vacation and tuition reimbursement.

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job

At no time, especially during salary negotiations, do you want the employer to think of you as simply “filling a position.” Rather, you need to be thought of as an individual with special
talents who can help the employer solve problems and who can add value to the bottom-line profits of the company.

So few people actually do a thorough inventory of their abilities and are able to communicate them. I’m certain that after doing the exercises in the previous seven chapters, you’ll be able to absolutely shine as that ideal candidate who brings extra value
to the organization. With extra value comes a higher salary. Let’s continue with the last two bargaining factors.

3. Determine your target salary and benefits. Your target salary should always be 15 to 20 percent more than what the employer initially offers. Learn to quickly multiply by 15 or 20 percent and add it to your salary figure on the spot if you need to. Distinguish between the benefits you absolutely need and those you want. (See page 139 for a list of benefits.)

Taken from : Fearless Interviewing - How To Win The Job