Negotiation Techniques

Anchoring and counter offers

There is a widespread myth that "whoever says the first number loses." In reality, the party who mentions the first number establishes the "anchor" around which the rest of the discussion will revolve.

If the candidate has done his homework, he can take the initiative and propose a figure that is slightly higher than his actual target (e.g., 10-20% more), leaving room for the company to negotiate down and the end result is still satisfactory.

If the company makes the first offer and it is low, do not accept it immediately for fear of losing the opportunity.

An effective technique is the silent pause followed by a counteroffer based on the value provided: "I appreciate the 40k offer, but based on my experience leading similar projects and market standards, I was hoping to get into the 50k range.

Avoiding sticker shock or asking for absurd figures is vital to avoid appearing disconnected from reality, but showing firmness in a fair range demonstrates professionalism.

Handling objections

Receiving a "no" for an answer is not the end of the negotiation, but the beginning of the negotiation.

If the employer rejects the raise request or counteroffer, the strategy should shift to empathetic transparency.

An advanced technique is to share a legitimate and honest personal reason (such as the need to address a family expense or housing situation) combined with impeccable professional performance.

For example: "I understand budget constraints, but my current situation requires me to achieve this level of income to maintain my stability.

Given that I have exceeded sales targets by 20% this year, is there an avenue to review this in six months or through a variable bonus?"

This calculated vulnerability, coupled with evidence of high performance, humanizes the negotiation and often motivates the boss to fight internally for an exception, as retaining talent becomes an emotional and logical priority.

Avoiding over-negotiation

Greed breaks the bag. A real danger in the final phase is over-negotiation ("nickeling and diming").

If the company has already conceded on salary, improved the bonus and agreed to the start date, coming back to the table to ask for a better computer or more days off can wear on the employer's patience and generate resentment before even the first day on the job.

The goal is to reach an agreement where both parties feel they have won ("win-win").

If you push for every penny to the point of discomfort, the candidate may win the salary battle but lose the relational war, being labeled a "troublemaker" or "mercenary."

Knowing when to stop and say "done deal" with ent