Antonio is preparing to negotiate his individual contract with a financial services firm. He is very nervous

Clarissa is preparing for a meeting with a manager at a firm that has just offered her a job. Clarissa was approached by this firm while she was working for one of its competitors and the new firm has convinced her that she has greater opportunities there so she has tentatively accepted its offer contingent on salary negotiations. What advice would you offer to Clarissa to assist her in obtaining a higher salary from those negotiations?

The first piece of advice to be offered to Clarissa is to negotiate! Research indicates that women are less likely to engage in negotiations over salary and less likely attain higher levels of salary than their male counterparts. To get to a higher level, Clarissa must negotiate.

In order to negotiate, Clarissa must overcome any fears she might have of the process. Especially since she wants to go to this firm, she may be afraid of angering her manager before she even gets going in the new firm. That said, it doesn’t hurt to ask, particularly if you are prepared to defend your request.

Get the facts. Make sure you have checked with various websites to understand what the market rate is. Clarissa does not want to over or undersell herself and her skill set in the market.

Build your case. Clarissa must be very clear as to why she believes she is worth a specific dollar amount. She must clearly indicate what she will contribute to this firm and why she believes such a contribution is equate with a specific dollar figure.

Know what you want: Clarissa must be clear on her salary goal and how set she is in that goal. If the new firm is unwilling to meet her salary demands, will she walk away?

Don’t make the first offer. Clarissa should allow her new manager to initially name the starting figure. Negotiations generally work with one party starting high and the other countering.

Listen more than talk. Clarissa may learn a lot by listening so temper your comments with periods when you listen to the new manager for best results.

155. Antonio is preparing to negotiate his individual contract with a financial services firm. He is very nervous and does not want to shortchange himself. Provide him some advice for being successful at negotiations.

Focus on securing an agreement. If the goal is an agreement, when an issue arises that might lead to an impasse, simply set it aside as something you agree to disagree on and address it later. Dealing with contentious issues at a later time or in a different environment often leads to their resolution.

Be patient. If there is no deadline in place to reach an agreement by, be flexible.

Recognize whose reality you are dealing with. Each side perceives their version of reality.  Be clear on yours.

Deadlines: If a deadline is established, negotiators tend to move toward agreement as that deadline approaches.

Be comfortable with silence: After an offer or counteroffer is made, allow the other party to contemplate it. Do not expect an immediate response.

156. Alemeda has just been hired by an aluminum maker to negotiate supply agreements between the aluminum firm and various international companies. What are some cultural issues that Alemeda should keep in mind as she begins negotiations?

Alemeda should recognize that some cultures have a lower threshold for conflict than others. Countries like Japan and Korea, for example, prefer harmony to conflict. Americans and Germans, in contrast, have a higher tolerance for conflict as a way to work through issues.

The nature of the relationship between negotiating parties also differs based upon the culture. Americans are prone to “getting right down to business” while negotiators in Japan and China must establish a friendly, trust-based relationship before bargaining. Consequently, Japanese negotiators, because of their high context culture are likely to look for patterns in what is not said as well as what is said during negotiations and factor those patterns into their offers.

Similarly, the relationship between the negotiators impacts the view of the overall activity. Americans view the negotiation as a business activity while Brazilians see it as a social activity.

In all cases, Alemeda must assess the cultural implications of negotiations before initiating the activity.