Responding to an Offer that is Too High

From: Jack Chapman

This is generally a pleasant problem, but it deserves more attention than you might think.  Remember, you’re not out to get every penny you can; you want only a fair salary to match your peak performance.  If your employer is making the mistake of overpaying you, the company will begin to feel ripped off, just as you would in the underpaid-vicious-cycle scenario in Chapter 1.  Your employer will regret the deal and resent you in the long run.  Although you may be delighted with the first paycheck, eventually you’ll find yourself trapped because you can’t get another job without a pay cut, and you can’t get promoted because your boss begrudges your cost already.

The other possibility is that you’re unwittingly in over your head.  If you expected twenty grand and you’re offered forty, maybe you’ve impressed these folks beyond your capabilities.  Although eight hundred dollars a week looks nice, it could turn out to be more like eight hundred dollars for one frustrating week before you’re back out on the street.

A response to “Too high” might be: “Well, that’s very fair, actually a wonderful offer.  I take it as an indication of your belief that I’m someone who can do the job.  Let’s get the benefits clear and I think we can make the deal.”

Finish up the negotiations but provide yourself with time, as suggested in Chapter 7, before you finally accept the position.  You’ll need that time to make a special effort to research the position, both to make sure you can handle it and to find out why they’re being so generous.

A client called me one day deliriously high with an offer equal to a 150-percent salary increase and a benefits package that totaled a 200-percent raise.  I was worried.  The job seemed okay, but I told him to go back and check it out. 

The employer was frank: “We believe high-tech corporations succeed because of teamwork and dedication.  Our projects often take years to complete, and they keep us at the cutting edge of technical application.  When we find people we like, we want them for the long haul; we don’t want our people looking for other positions.  We need 100 percent of your energy and commitment, and we know we have to pay for it.”  Since we know the employer is happy, we’re happy.  It’s a win-win situation, and we’ve negotiated right.

What if it’s Just Right?

This is unlikely.  The first figure you hear is generally the employer’s lowest.  Even if the interviewer is in a fit of ecstasy and fudging and judging to entice you into the company, prudent business people wouldn’t back themselves into a corner.  But if it does happen, and you’re confident that you’ve researched correctly, take the same thirty seconds to think about it, then say, “Your figure matches my research exactly.  I think that’s a perfect starting point.  Since I expect to learn fast, work hard, and become very productive for you, I’d like to discuss scheduling a tentative raise to X thousand dollars in six months.”  That way you’re not pushing for anything more than a fair salary, but still bringing up a potential raise.

Jack Chapman is a nationally know job coach and seminar speaker specializing for the last 20 years in salary negotiations and job interviews.

For more information on Salary Negotiations, please visit: http://www.breakthrough-salaries.com/

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