In extended negotiations over compensation, be careful that you don’t set up a pattern in the way that you make concessions:
- Don’t make equal size concessions because the other side will keep on pushing.
- Don’t make your last concession a big one because it creates hostility.
- Never concede your entire negotiating range just because the employer calls for your “last and final” proposal or claims that he/she “doesn’t like to negotiate”.
- Be careful with giving a small concession first to see what happens. A small concession may build up to a larger concession and you’ll never reach agreement doing that, because every time they ask you for a concession, it just gets better and better for them.
- Taper the concessions to communicate that the employer is getting the best possible deal.
