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Before you can negotiate, you need to know how much people in comparable positions make. You can find this information in a variety of ways. Talk with colleagues. Co-workers may be hesitant to talk about their salaries. Nevertheless, you can still ask. If you are negotiating a pay raise at your company, then your coworkers remain your best resource for finding out your company's pay scale. Research at Glassdoor or PayScale. Both of these website provide salary information for particular companies. You can find out what the average salary is for the position at your target company. Research companies of comparable size. If no information exists about the company you are interviewing at, then you will want to find salary ranges for companies of comparable size in the same city or geographic area. You can also find this information on Glassdoor or PayScale. You may also want to do a general web search. Look online if you are working for a government agency. Many states will post this information online. For example, you can view California's state worker salary database by clicking here. Effective negotiation requires that you know two numbers: how much you would ideally get, and the least amount you would settle for. You negotiate with the first number in mind, and you walk away from the job (or stop negotiating) if the employer cannot meet the second number. Don't set the range too low. Research shows that women in particular tend to undervalue their worth. Instead, look at the salary ranges already offered in the field and location and consider what unique skills or experiences you can bring to the company that will increase your worth. Also think through any trade-offs that you might settle for. For example, you might be willing to accept a slightly lower salary for increased vacation time or personal days. Effective negotiation involves more than simply spouting out a number to someone across the table. You also want to give a few short reasons why you think that you are worth the amount that you are asking for. You should come up with your reasons ahead of time. There are a couple different kinds of negotiators. One is hard-style and likely to say, "No." The other type is a "soft-style" negotiator who comes across as agreeable. You need to prepare for both, because both present different challenges as you negotiate. To negotiate effectively with the hard-style negotiator, you have to be in the right frame of mind. Do not get rattled by an assertive "No." Instead, be prepared to justify the amount that you are asking for. You must also maintain a positive attitude, even in the face of resistance. To negotiate effectively with a "soft-style" negotiator, you must focus on not trying to get the negotiator to like you. Instead, you must approach the negotiation as a bargaining opportunity. Soft-style negotiators can be problematic especially when you already know the negotiatorfor example, she may already be your boss and you are negotiating a raise. You need to stop worrying that you might harm the relationship and instead focus on getting a salary you deserve. In some cases, you may be asked by email to send an indication of your desired salary amount. This removes the face-to-face negotiation but can be just as difficult to know how to respond appropriately, so check out How to Answer Expected Salary in an Email for some guidance. If you don't like to negotiate, then you should practice various scenarios before speaking to the employer. One way to practice is to look in a mirror and state out loud what your ideal salary is and why you think you are worth it. Imagine the employer saying "No" and practice your counter-offer. You can also enlist the help of a friend. He or she can pretend to be the boss. Work out different scenarios. For example, have the friend be a firm negotiator, saying "No" repeatedly, so that you can become accustomed to hearing that kind of resistance. Then alternate, and have the friend be open to negotiation. Focus on keeping your enthusiasm up during the process, which is critical for your success in negotiations.
Research salaries. Decide on your salary range. List reasons why you deserve the salary you want. Prepare for different types of negotiators. Practice.