Salary Negotiations: Do Not Blabber
Nothing beats confidence when you’re going after the job
you want. You will need to project enthusiasm, answer questions and
ask questions of your own. Your listening ability and your show of
interest in the company are important factors in getting you the
job. It is especially important to convey your skill experience and
willingness to do the job. Your aim is to establish your value to
the company to your potential employer.
However, after months of preparation, getting your resume
fine-tuned, answering ads, utilizing internet information,
following up leads and networking with numerous people to find the
right job for a job, one word can throw away thousands of
dollars.
Believe it or not, the word is “Okay.” It may be
inexperience in dealing with salary negotiations, or just an
anxious moment, that makes you say OK. Either way, blurting OK
when a compensation offer is made can leave thousands of dollars on
the table.
Consider what you might do instead. How about memorizing a
one-word response that will work in every negotiating scenario?
Think of this as a riddle: What’s a four-letter word that has
no vowels, is not in the dictionary, and makes money every time you
use it with negotiating precision? Give up?
The word is “Hmmm” – a single word that buys 30
seconds of silence. A 30-second pause really amps up the pressure
on employers to offer more.
Many of my clients have said this is the one technique that has
made them the maximum amount of money with the minimum amount of
effort. All you need to do is shut up – harder for some than
others, eh? But it’s doable by anyone.
The move is called “The Flinch.” It works in salary
negotiations, raise negotiations, flea markets, used car sales,
sewer repair bill – just about anywhere financial
transactions take place. When you hear the other person’s
first offer, don’t say OK. Say Hmmm.
Take some time to really ponder it. Check your gut – are you
delighted? Neutral? disappointed? worried? Give yourself some time
and in the seconds of silence the other person’s offer will
improve in some way.
Don’t blabber. Be quiet. Let silence do its work.
© 2009
