Successful salary negotiation

Are you worth more than what you are being offered? You still need to know how to make that heard.

Does talking about money make you uncomfortable? You're not alone. But those who manage to secure the highest salaries aren't necessarily the most competent... they're the ones who know how to negotiate. In a world where silence is costly and inflation never takes a break, not negotiating your salary means saying yes to being underpaid.

Good news: salary negotiation is not a gift, it's a skill. And like any skill, it can be learned.
In this article, we put an end to vague advice and clichés. Make way for concrete techniques, scientifically validated psychological tools, and strategies used by professional negotiators.

Systematically prepare for negotiations

Harvard Negotiation Project (Fisher, Ury & Patton, 2011 – Getting to Yes)

Tool : the BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) method, or MESORE in French (MEilleure SOlution de REpli, or Best Alternative Solution).

Identify your best alternative in case negotiations fail. Having a clear alternative in mind allows you to enter the conversation with a calmer, more confident mindset, as you have less to lose.

The less you have to lose, the more you will gain.

So categorise your alternatives and concessions into three categories (low, medium, high) and use them wisely during the exchange, remembering to respect the principle of conditional reciprocity: each concession given must involve a concession in return (of equal value).

To do :

• Define your objectives, your limits (breaking point), your concessions, and your BATNA.

• List the other party's needs and motivations (principle of principled negotiation).

Always give a range, never a single figure.

When it comes to discussing figures, always suggest a realistic and ambitious salary range rather than a fixed amount. This shows that you are flexible while setting the psychological framework for the discussion (anchoring effect).
Studies show that a high anchor, even when presented as a range, significantly increases the final salary negotiated (Galinsky and Mussweiler, 2001). For example: “Taking into account the responsibilities of this position and the value I will bring to the company, I am aiming for a salary between £85,000 and £95,000.’

Never discuss salary too early: demonstrate your value first.

One of the biggest mistakes in an interview is to quote a figure before you have clearly demonstrated your return on investment. Until the recruiter clearly understands what you can bring to the table, any figure will seem too high.
Your priority: show that you are solving a problem, improving a process or generating value. Wait until the other person is convinced that you are the solution before bringing up the financial discussion.

Use active listening and rephrasing

The more you manage to create an atmosphere of trust and empathy, the more you will get what you want, so make sure your conversation partner feels listened to, secure and involved in a mutually beneficial exchange.

Techniques :

• Rephrase what the other person has said (“If I understand correctly, you…”)

• Subtly copy verbal and non-verbal language and avoid creating too stark a contrast in behaviour.

• Use strategic silences (psychological contrast effect)

This creates a connection and disarms resistance.

Playing on psychological anchors

Tversky and Kahneman (1974) have demonstrated that the first proposal strongly influences the outcome of a negotiation (anchoring bias).

Advice :

• Always demonstrate your value before announcing your desired salary range. Your employer should be focused on their return on investment, not their investment.
• Make an ambitious but reasonable first offer.

• Justify it with tangible data and information: salary scales 

Mastering non-verbal communication

Mehrabian (1971) in an emotional situation, Non-verbal language influences up to 55% of how a message is perceived..

To be observed :

• Open posture, direct eye contact, calm tone of voice

• Do not cross your arms or avoid eye contact.

• Showing your hands strongly encourages trust.

• Use a falling intonation at the end of a statement to give your words more impact.

Negotiating for a win-win outcome (principle of mutual interest)

Approach :

• Do not focus on positions (“I want an additional £5,000”) but on interests (“it would be fair for my remuneration to reflect my responsibilities and the value I bring to the company”).

• Offer several options/alternatives in the event of a deadlock.

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To learn more, discover our negotiation training courses: OSAM Training