How to Negotiate Salary in 15 Minutes, by Chris Voss & The Black Swan Group on YouTube. 15 min 59 s.
- Video length
- 15 min 59 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Before the interview, write down the lowest salary you can genuinely live with. Never name a range whose bottom number you would refuse, because the low end is what people remember.
Treat the interview as a two-way audition. You are checking whether the role fits you, and no salary figure fixes a bad fit.
Note who is on the panel. The quietest, least engaged person in the room is often the one whose opinion carries the most weight, so bring them into the conversation.
Use a mirror when you want more detail. Repeat the last two or three words they said, then stop talking and let them explain.
Use a label when you suspect a salary band nobody has mentioned. Say something like "It sounds like the range for this role is already set" and let them confirm or correct it.
Go silent after they name a figure or ask for your expectation. Silence is uncomfortable, so the other side usually fills it with information or a better number.
Separate your market value from what the company can afford. Ask what the budget for the role allows, then discuss where the two numbers meet.
Negotiate the terms before you sign, not at your first annual review. Cover title, remote days, start date, review timing, training budget and reporting line.
If you believe the pay scale is unfair, ask plainly how pay bands are set for the role and who reviews them. Then decide what you will accept.
Be ready to leave a bad situation. Knowing you can walk away keeps your voice calm and stops you accepting a number you resent.
Tips and common mistakes
Silence feels much longer to you than to the person across the table, so count slowly and let them speak first.
Write your walk-away number down before the call so you do not drift upward or downward under pressure.
Terms like an early review or extra holiday days are often easier to win than base salary.
Never quote a range that starts below your true minimum, since the bottom number is the one that sticks.
Questions
What if they ask for my salary expectation first?
Give a range whose lowest figure you would happily accept, then stay quiet. Let them respond to the number rather than filling the pause yourself.
Should I give a single number or a range?
A range works better because it gives the employer room to place you. Just make sure the bottom of that range is a number you can live with.
Can I still negotiate terms after I accept the offer?
It is much harder once you have signed. Raise terms such as review timing, title and remote days during the negotiation, before anything is agreed.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
