One of the most exciting parts of the whole job search process is landing an offer. After what can be a long and grueling process, this is a very happy moment of relief. FINALLY.

But as you all know, your work is not quite done. Before you accept a job offer, you should give it some careful thought and consideration. Is the work going to be challenging? Will you like your boss and coworkers? Is the culture a good fit? AND… is the compensation living up to your expectations?

Most people I work with are on board with negotiating yet still really nervous about the process, which is understandable. During my most recent offer negotiation session, I thought of something interesting.

When else do you get to have a 3 minute conversation and earn hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars?

Never! Negotiation conversations can be awkward and maybe uncomfortable, but how much is avoiding that discomfort worth to you? Is it worth the $5,000 extra my last client got after negotiating? Probably not!

So next time you’re feeling nervous about a conversation like this, think about the fact that you’re about to earn your highest hourly rate of all time. 

For example, a 3-minute chat that gets you $2000 more in base salary means you just earned the equivalent of $40,000/hour for your time 🙂 Too bad there aren’t more ways we can use our time so effectively!

If this convinced you to move forward (or you were planning to anyway) here are a few tips for negotiating a job offer:

1. Go for phone vs. email: Yes, I know you’d rather just send an email but I can tell you from sitting on the other side of the table that you should have a conversation. I’ve seen well-intentioned and professionally worded emails come across cold and entitled, which will not get you the result you want. Use the conversation as another opportunity to cultivate a strong relationship with the person you’ve been working with and make sure they know you’re still excited about many aspects of the role and company. They have to want to go to bat for you!
2. Ask for what you want! I know this sounds so silly, but the primary goal of the conversation is to negotiate the offer, so don’t beat around the bush. Come straight out and say that you really appreciate the offer and you’re excited about the opportunity, but you’d like to earn $X.
3. Be able to back it up: Showing that you’ve done your homework and have actual data to back up your ask is huge. Your data might come from a place like Glassdoor (more on that here) or you might even know firsthand what other companies are paying or have offered you. Your current salary can sometimes also support your case – so can sharing the value you know you could add on the team. Find as much data as you can and don’t be afraid to share it.

Good luck with your negotiation! If you’d like some one on one help in this area, contact me here!