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HOW DO I ASK FOR A HIGHER OFFER?
ASK THE HEADHUNTER by Nick Corcodilos
Q: How do I tell an employer that its offer does not meet my expectations? Even my most diplomatic language sounds like a used-car salesman haggling over price. Any suggestions?
Some folks think that only highly paid professionals can use smart methods to negotiate. But it doesn't really matter what kind of work you do. Everyone can be an effective negotiator.
People get nervous about asking for more than is offered because they have nothing rational to say. You're right, it can sound silly: "Gee, I was thinking you should pay me more than that. What do you think?"
You're in a better position when you have concrete reasons why the employer should pay you more. It's absolutely necessary to do a careful analysis of the work you'd be doing and to prepare a compelling story about how your special skills (or work habits) will make you a more efficient and profitable worker than your competition. It's just as important to start your interviews by laying out a desired salary range that you think you can support when negotiation time comes.
Prepare three simple bullet points that define the added value you would bring to the job. Test these with someone you trust. These points must justify your request for more money. It's got to sound good, and it must make sense. (Warning: It takes a lot of effort and thought to put this together. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.)
An example:
"(1) I'm an expert at the new ginzu method, and (2) I can typically complete a project 20 percent faster than others can. (3) This could potentially save you $2,000 every time I do a project. I believe that makes me worth the salary range I requested."
Your challenge is to show clearly why you're worth the extra bucks, and that means you've got to explain how the work you will do can produce more profit for the employer. By emphasizing your desired salary range early in the interview, you give yourself an opening later to negotiate the offer.
How to survive a sinking company
You get no sympathy from me if your company is in trouble and you need to go job hunting at the last minute. A job search can take a long time. Anyone who ignores this fact is being reckless.
If your company is sinking, the strongest swimmers will make land first. Your challenge is to stick close to the managers (and other top talent) in your company before they depart. (Trust me: They will find new jobs before you do.) Volunteer to help out in their departments. Get their insight about what's going on in the industry. Share information you have that might be useful to them. If you can, introduce them to top managers in other companies. Yep, help them land a new job. They are the most important network you can have -- they are your lifeboat and the source of your next job.
How many headhunters?
When starting a job search, how many headhunters is it best to put to work on your behalf?
1. As many as possible to increase your odds of success.
2. Just one very good one.
3. Don't use headhunters. There are so many more jobs available online -- use the job boards.
4. Forget about headhunters. Use employment agencies.
(Cast your vote for The Headhunter Challenge poll online at (your newspaper Web site here). We'll post the results along with The Headhunter's expert opinion.)
Less than 3 percent of jobs are filled by headhunters -- real headhunters. A headhunter will come looking for you, not the other way around. A real headhunter will not shop you out to dozens of companies. She will evaluate you for a specific job with a specific client. If you're not a fit, she won't present you to other companies. That's how real headhunters operate. Don't confuse headhunters with employment agencies, which will distribute your resume to several (possibly too many) companies all at once.
Whether we're talking about headhunters or agencies, it's best to work with one good one. Be aware that flaky agencies will plaster your resume all over kingdom come, including online resume databases, hoping to make a random placement. (You can do that yourself.) A good agency has solid relationships with good companies that give the agency first crack at filling good jobs. Give that agency an exclusive opportunity for a fixed period of time to show you what it can do (say, three weeks). If you work with multiple agencies (even good ones), none of them will work very hard to place you because they know they're competing with one another. (Don't try being sneaky; they'll find out because it's a small world.) Let's discuss a few ground rules.
You won't get to select the headhunters you might work with. They will select you. But you can select the agencies, because their business depends on having a roster of solid candidates to present to their client companies. Select an agency carefully, establish clear ground rules, and give it a reasonable opportunity to find you the right job before you move on to another.
Write to Nick at P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833 or www.asktheheadhunter.com.
