Career Coach: Be A Better Negotiator – Lifestyle – Shape.
“Babcock, economics professor at Carnegie Mellon University, found that men are four times more likely to negotiate for extras on the job, from vacation to higher salaries. “We’re more willing to accept what’s offered instead of engaging in the process. This can have big consequences.” Check out her example:
- Two 22-year-old pros enter the workforce earning $35,000/yr.
- One asks for high yearly raises, averaging 5%
- One accepts yearly raise as given, averaging 3%
- By age 37, the negotiator earns $61,250/yr; the other earns $50,750/yr.”
The results of failing to bargain hard and smart ” accumulate over time, widening a gap that is no longer measured in money alone.” This gap can result in a woman not being given the resources or authority to allow her to succeed, and in being passed over for plum assignments, where she will gain visibility and recognition. The effects of acquiescing, rather than holding your opposition’s feet to the fire, can snowball, not only becoming increasingly negative, as time goes by, but sending your career on a downward trajectory as well.
“Try Babcock’s five negotiating tips when navigating your bright future.
- Brush Up – The more you know, the more confident you’ll be making your case.
- Strategize
Before knocking on your boss’s door, map out a plan. First, pinpoint your target (flextime, a raise, extra vacation?) “Next, decide how much more than your target you’ll ask for,” says Babcock. “You’ve got to aim higher than your real goal! - Script It, Rehearse It
- Be Cooperative Not Competitive
Keep your frame of mind in check. Stay calm, courteous and professional. If your initial proposal is met with resistance, ask, “Can you help me understand why it won’t work?” - “NO” Is Not the Enemy
Getting comfortable hearing ‘No’ is an integral step to acing negotiations. If you’re aiming high and asking for more than your target, ‘No’ doesn’t end the conversation. It’s just the next step of negotiation, a back-and-forth process. “If you hear ‘Yes’ every time you ask for something, you’re not asking for enough.”
Negotiating well is really a matter of learning some basic techniques, bringing to bear all your observations and insights about the other parties, speaking up for yourself, and practicing every day, in every negotiation, no matter how small. You need to do thi, you will soon feel comfortable doing this and your future success depends on it
