Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of Thy Salary in Vain

Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt notlage Take the Name of Thy Salary in VainSalary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of Thy Salary in VainWhen you survey the salary landscape, seek the highest common ground.The Ten Commandments of Salary Negotiation (Part 9) Salary expert Jack Chapman offers 10 lessons on salary negotiation in the vein of the Ten Commandments.When you arrive for a final job interview, come armed with three numbers that I refer to by the initials I.S.N.IdealSatisfactoryNo-GoThese name your salary and frame your negotiation. Your employer probably has his/her own three numbers as well. Good negotiations will find the common ground between you. Excellent negotiations on your part will be at the highest possible point of that common ground.Lets say youre a convention coordinator, and in your present job youre underpaid at $85,000. And lets say youd be ecstatic at $135,000 - a number bigger than you think youd ever get, but its not a complete fantasy - it passes the laugh test.At the other end of the spectrum, theres no point in moving jobs for less than, say, $95,000. Weve named the Ideal (top) and the denkverbot (bottom) numbers.Now, consider the employer. She is pulling her hair out with the complaints shes getting with her current coordinator. Shes in danger of losing an entire $290,000 account if she doesnt get someone like you whos good with attention to detail. She knows that the average salary for a coordinator is $75,000 for a plodder, up to $105,000 for a self-departureer. The top of her range is $115,000.Your common ground, then, is $95,000 to $115,000. Thats $95K for your lowest, and $115K for her highest. Neither of you know that common ground when you start negotiating. All you know is your own range.To reach some agreement requires a whole negotiating dance. The step I want to emphasize in this commandment is your clarity. Before you begin serious money talk, think through your top, bottom and mid-ground numbers. If th ey are fuzzy, your negotiations will be fuzzy. If youre not clear that $95,000 is as low as youll go, you might waffle. In the heat of the interview, experiencing great rapport, imagining friendly co-workers (not the grouches you work with now) you will be tempted to say, OK. Ill start there and work up.No Do not take the name of your salary in vain Im sorry, Ms. Employer. I would love to work here. I feel a great connection. I love your accounts, but somehow we have to reach a minimum of $95,000 and preferably $105. Lets put our heads together and find a way, shall we?Negotiating Your Salary How To Make a $1,000 a Minute has more information about the ISN numbers.Read other installments in this seriesPart 1 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Speak Too SoonPart 2 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Regret Salary DisclosurePart 3 Salary Negotiation Tips Let the Employer Make the First Salary OfferPart 4 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not AgreePart 5 Salary Negotiation Tips Know How Much Money Youre WorthPart 6 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Covet Thine Own Benefits and PerksPart 7 Salary Negotiation Tips This Is the Job Thou CovetethPart 8 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Worry about Earthly EconomyPart 9 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of Thy Salary in VainPart 10 Salary Negotiation Tips Honor Thy Wealth and Prosperity