3 Common Salary Negotiation Scenarios and What You Can Learn From Them

3 Common Salary Negotiation Scenarios and What You Can Learn From Them3 Common Salary Negotiation Scenarios and What You Can Learn From ThemEntering into a salary negotiation with an employer can be an awkward and anxiety-inducing experience. But by taking the time to properly prepare, youll not only put yourself in a position to get the best deal possible, youll help calm jittery nerves.Following are two examples of how a salary negotiation can go awry and one that went well. All three anecdotes provide valuable lessons on how to conduct yourself during a salary negotiation so you achieve the best result.Going in unpreparedSamantha landed a job interview for a copywriter position. In the middle of the job interview, the hiring manager surprised herbei by asking about her salary expectations. Having not given it sufficient thought prior to the interview, Samantha welches quick to say $45,000 (a couple thousand more than she currently earns). She thought nothing of it until she was f ormally offered the role after a follow-up interview. Sally then did some research and realized that with her two years of experience she could be earning between $46,750 and $70,000. Unfortunately, she felt she had already boxed herself in.Lesson Do your research prior to even a first interview. While its generally best to let the employer broach the subject of salary, its smart to enter the meeting with a range in mind in case the discussion turns to compensation. You can find out what your skills and experience are worth by reviewing industry resources such as The Creative Group Salary Guide.Getting personalDave was offered a new position as a marketing manager with his current employer. Dave has been with the company since he graduated college four years ago. He was keen to make a bigger dent in his student loans. During the salary negotiation discussion, Dave mentioned the loans and asked for more money.Lesson Keep it professional. Employers are not interested in your personal finances. When asking for a higher salary, Dave should have focused on highlighting concrete examples of the value hes added to the organization.Considering the big pictureSean is a skilled art director with more than five years of experience. He recently received two job offers for about the same starting pay. One offer came from a small firm where he could see himself grow and prosper the other opportunity came with a higher starting salary at a more established firm. Sean knew that the smaller agency wouldnt be able to beat the higher salary, but he carefully considered the entire compensation package and successfully negotiated additional vacation days and a flexible work arrangement, which closed the gap between the two offers.Lesson Consider the full picture. Sean didnt base his decision on salary alone. He took the time to evaluate the entire package, and then negotiated wisely in regard to additional perks and benefits.Read our deutsche post dhl on six key questions to consi der when negotiating salary.