13 Things You Shouldn’t Do During a Negotiation

By Rochawn Meadows-Hernandez

Work+Money, October 8, 2018 —

You did it. You applied for your dream job, or at least a position that’ll help pay the bills, and you got an interview. The interview went well, and they sent you a confirmation offering the position. You, however, are not comfortable with the salary they’re offering. What do you do next?

You negotiate.

For many new employees, and plenty of old ones, negotiating is a terrifying topic. However, it doesn’t have to be.

Chances are you won’t have time to study up on everything you need to do during the negotiation. But a valid shortcut is researching the things you should not do during a negotiation.

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By heading into a negotiation with a solid framework that highlights what you absolutely shouldn’t do when trying to get those extra dollars, you’re ahead of the game whether you’re negotiating for a higher salary or something else.

Instead of going into the negotiation unaware, take these tips and know at the very least you’re avoiding the most common mistakes.

2) Don’t Expect Instant Success

4) Don’t Overlook the Importance of a Good Comparison

6) Don’t Be Arrogant

To my fellow millennials (and everyone else, too), here’s a hot tip: Coming off as too arrogant during the hiring process can leave a terrible taste in an employer’s mouth.

“A common mistake for millennials is to enter a negotiation self-centered, overly confident, and overly optimistic, discounting their counterpart’s needs and interest,” Braverman said.

If you come off too sure of yourself, you may be perceived as a know-it-all. Finding a reasonable balance of confidence and holding your cards is vital.

7) Don’t Overlook the Whole Employment Package

Even aside from traditional benefits, there are many things to consider before committing to a position. For example, apart from the usual health-related benefits, the ability to work a four-day, 10-hour schedule, or to work remotely, are all up for grabs. More and more companies are open to the benefit of having employees work a flexible schedule.

The benefit of a job opportunity that fits your life is often overlooked. So many of us go into jobs seeing our contracts as a one-way relationship. We have to bend and break for our employers, and in exchange to following their terms, we get paid.

The reality is we have much more power than that.

“Do not focus negotiations only on money,” Braverman said. “Look for other terms and conditions that have mutual value for your counterpart.”

8) Don’t Forget to Ask Questions

Braverman says that not asking questions is a widespread mistake made by inexperienced (and some experienced) negotiators.

Asking questions is useful for several reasons. It creates an opportunity to show that you have done your research, and questions can help you leave a good impression.

“Failing to ask adequate questions during a negotiation is a mistake inexperienced negotiators often make,” Braverman said. “Asking questions reduces lying by the counterpart while adding greater clarity to the deal-making.”

Thankfully, Braverman has developed a Negotiation Planning Checklist. It’s an excellent resource for creating these questions.

9) Don’t Forget to Do More Research

Research is equally important after you have feedback from your potential employer as it is before.

When you have more specific information about the role and your potential employer’s expectations, seek out more data. Take the time to examine what others of similar skill level and experience are making, for instance. By doing this kind of extra research, you can develop a more realistic salary and package rate. The more realistic your rate, the more likely it is to be received.

10) Don’t Oversell Your Worth

In other words, if you are applying for a full-time, mid-level position as a marketing specialist and the average salary is around $40,000, don’t ask for $65,000.

“Never make an unrealistic offer,” Braverman said. “Offers should be aggressive, but well-reasoned and based on persuasive logic. Unrealistic offers are unnecessarily insulting and destroy credibility.”

It’s okay to go a little bit over what you think you will receive. But again, go a little bit over based on carefully gathered information and research. Not the salary of your dreams.

11) Don’t Expect a Win-Win Situation

In a perfect world, every negotiation would end with maximizing company profits and a healthy benefits package with an impressive salary for the employee. Unfortunately, this isn’t an ideal world. Chances are someone, be it you or the employer, is going to make a more substantial sacrifice than the other.

“Win-win is a wonderful cliché but only works if all counterparts work together sharing information, insight, and have a collaborative goal,” Braverman said. “Do not enter a negotiation expecting a win-win unless you are certain the counterpart has the same commitment.”

That doesn’t mean that it is impossible for both you and the employer to have favorable outcomes. But it requires determined collaboration.

12) Don’t Be Rigid

We’ve all heard horror stories about friends and loved ones who got the short end of the deal during negotiations. We’ve even heard stories of individuals who haven’t had the chance to negotiate at all.

While those stories can be beneficial for knowing what not to do during negotiations, it’s essential that they are taken with a grain of salt.

“Do not be the most difficult person in the room,” Braverman said. “Sometimes the problem person in a negotiation is us, not them.”

Preconceived notions about being taken advantage of can cause you to act in a way that could jeopardize your chance of receiving the best offer.

Before assuming that the employer is the problem, try to seek feedback from a neutral party. Always be open to the possibility that you are the one who needs to be more flexible.

13) And Finally…

Above all, don’t forget to try.