Should You Make the First Offer?

By Marty Nemko

I used to follow the traditional negotiation advice: get your opponent to make the first offer, but lately, I've had successes making the first offer, 10-30% over my bottom line. On reflection, that makes sense. You come off more confident by saying, "I need to make $XX,000" than if you say, "Mr. Employer, what have you budgeted for the position?". Worst case, if the employer says, "That's impossible; thanks for you interest; next candidate," you can backtrack: "Depending on the nature of the position, I would take less." So, don't be rule-bound. Decide, case-by-case, whether to make the first offer.