Negotiating Strategies for Women

Presented by: Erin E. Lawler, Esq.Attorney, Mediator, Negotiation Consultant

Audience survey

• Raise your hand if negotiating makes you nervous.

My background

• Attorney• Mediator• State government

employee

Negotiation:

a tool for change when change requires the agreement of another person

Why negotiate?

• Example: negotiating for a $1,000 salary increase.

• Over 25 more years of working = $25,000. • A higher base for future raises and bonuses. • A higher base for retirement benefits. • Signals higher value to prospective future

employers.

Beyond a paycheck: other reasons to negotiate

• Promotions.• More work-related responsibility.• Assignments that match your skills and

interests.• Working with people from whom you can

learn.• Additional training.

The best reason to negotiate:

Audience survey: who is more successful at negotiating?

Women are most successful in negotiations:

1) When the negotiation has low ambiguity.2) When the tone of the negotiation is collaborative, as opposed to competitive.3) When the woman is advocating on behalf of someone other than herself.

1) Lower the ambiguity through preparation.

Know your own side of the story:• What do you want to get out of the negotiation?– Set a target value (ambitious, but not impossible).

• What is the least you would accept?– Set a reservation value (realistic).

• What are your alternatives? – If you don’t get what you want, what will you do?

(Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement or BATNA).

Lower the ambiguity through preparation, continued.

• Research the marketplace– What:• How are people with your skills compensated

throughout your industry?• What is the local market for your skills? Is there a

shortage?– How: • Internet research.• Use your network of contacts.

Researching the marketplace: Internet sources

• Some salary information resources online:– www.monster.com– www.jobstar.com– www.dol.gov– www.theglassdoor.com – www.texastribune.org

Researching the marketplace: Using your contacts

• “What do you think would be an appropriate salary for someone performing at my job level?”

• “How many years of experience are usually required before one is given this degree of responsibility or can expect to earn [X amount]?”

• “If someone were going to ask for [what you want], when would be the best time?”

Lower ambiguity through preparation, continued.

• Learn about the other party’s perspective– What:• What is important to him/her about this deal? • Don’t assume his/her interests are the opposite of

yours. – How: • If you can’t get this information through research or

through your network of contacts, use reciprocal information sharing and open-ended questions in the negotiation itself.

Examples of how to gather information in the negotiation

• “I want to be sure that I have a clear picture of the challenges you face. Can we talk about that?”

• “Among the issues we’re discussing today, salary is most important to me. Is that true for you or is another issue more important?”

• “I know that you are balancing a lot of competing interests. Can you describe them to me so that I have a better idea of what they are?”

Sarah’s story.

• After Sarah has been working for a few years, she receives an offer for a new job.

• The new offer is for a salary of $48,000.• Sarah determines:– What she really wants: $54,000 (target value)– What she needs to accept the job $50,000

(reservation value) – Her BATNA: stay at her current position

• How much should Sarah ask for?

Sarah’s story: Sarah asks for what she wants

• Sarah asks for $54,000, her target value.• The employer counteroffers with $51,000.– This “splits the difference” between the

employer’s initial offer of $48,000 and Sarah’s counteroffer of $54,000.

• Sarah accepts and her salary is $51,000.

Sarah’s story: Sarah asks for more than what she wants

• Sarah asks for $57,000 which is $3,000 more than her target of $54,000.

• The employer counteroffers with $52,500.– This “splits the difference” between the

employer’s initial offer of $48,000 and Sarah’s counteroffer of $57,000.

• Sarah accepts and her salary is $52,500.

Sarah’s story: BATNA• How could Sarah’s BATNA have

made a difference?• A strong BATNA increases

bargaining power. • Imagine that Sarah is unemployed.

Her BATNA is weak: keep looking for another job.

• Imagine that Sarah has another job offer in hand and this one pays her target value of $54,000. Her BATNA is strong: take the other job.

Other reasons to prepare: Preparation helps with stress

2) Set a collaborative tone.

• Use “interest-based bargaining” to set a collaborative tone.

• Learn to identify interests, not positions.• Use interests to generate options.

Positions versus interests, part 1

Positions versus interests, part 2

Set a collaborative tone, continued

• Frame your proposals in terms of the other party’s interests.

• Examples: – “I know productivity is important to you, which is

why I am proposing….”– “You mentioned that you are interested in

reducing costs. My proposal will reduce costs by…”

3) Advocate for others

• Remind the other party that you are representing others.– Your department or division, other tenants, future

customers.– “I need to make a responsible financial decision

for my family.” • Remind yourself that you are representing

others.– Look at a photo of your family.

After a negotiation…

• If you get a deal:– Dealing with the negotiation hangover.

• If you don’t get a deal:– Remember: if you never hear “no,” you aren’t

asking enough. – Consider renegotiating after you have improved

your BATNA.

Summary

• Negotiate: it’s worth it! • How to succeed in negotiations:– Lower ambiguity through preparation.– Set a collaborative tone.– Negotiate on behalf of others.

• For future negotiations:– Contact me.

How to contact me

• Come get my business cards!• Email: ErinELawler@gmail.com• Phone: 512-541-8667

References

• Linda Babcock & Sara Laschever, ASK FOR IT: HOW WOMEN CAN USE THE POWER OF NEGOTIATION TO GET WHAT THEY REALLY WANT (2009)

• Kathy Perkins, “Gender in Mediation: Negotiation & the Gender Divide,” (available online)

• Deborah Tannen, YOU JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND: WOMEN AND MEN IN CONVERSATION (2001)