Identify all your interests

Both you and your employer probably have concerns or aspirations that are not strictly monetary. You might want CFP training without having to pay for it. The employer can satisfy this interest in more than one way: by building a cushion into the salary that would cover schooling costs or paying for the schooling on your behalf. You might also want one flex day per week or the ability to work from home a few times a month. You may value being able to leave by five o'clock consistently to pick up your children, rapid promotions, a gym membership or full health care.

Before you walk in to the negotiation, prioritize your various interests and identify places where you are willing to trade one thing of value for something else. Is the salary more important than stock options? Is a gym membership more important than a review and likely promotion in six months?

When you negotiate the terms of the deal, discover what your employer's various interests and reveal your own insofar as this would benefit you. Maybe the employer cannot go above sixty-five grand and still maintain equity of salary within the company. Find out whether the negotiator has full decision-making capability, or if he is representing someone else who makes the compensation decisions.

Your employer may be able to offset a concession on your part by paying for your education, offering stock incentives, or giving you a signing bonus. Be creative.

	Know your worth.
	Use fairness.
	Identify your interest.
	Compete and cooperate.