Give Me One Good Reason Why I Should Increase The Offer?
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
You have two offers. The better job came in lower and you really want to take it but you don’t want to leave money on the table. What can you say to negotiate it being improved?
Someone describe the situation to me that they were wrestling with. They have an offer. The firm came in less than what another offer is and they want to know how to respond. So, they’ve got two offers. A higher one and a lower one. The lower one is the better job. They started to say something to the effect of “There is a wide gap here between your offer and another one I have but, I prefer this job. If you can match that other offer. I’d be happy to join. I will commit to it today. Sign whatever paperwork you need . . . Yadda yadda yadda.
The hiring manager responded by saying something that translates into, “I can work on that. Give me one good reason why I should do that.” The person wound up in brain cramp and did what a lot of people do which sounds like the interview version of begging. “I’ll work so hard! I’ll be a good employee! I’ll care about my job! I need the money! I’ve got a lot of expenses and I need the money!” All that happens is they just sound ridiculous and no one really cares.
So, understand that the promise to be a great employee is what’s expected and that you have a lot of expenses, they don’t really care about. If you promise to work 24×7 you are just a liar because you or not going to do that. So, what can you do, what can you say and that’s the basic theme behind this.
The notion that you are a distance apart is really the key response that you have. “I have another offer from another firm.” Or my own firm is talking about giving me a raise. I should have the raise within two weeks period I’m prepared to say, “ yes,” the other offer /the raise should bring me to (whatever the number is; the raise would bring me to and then you give them a sense of the numbers). I’m not asking you to give me $50,000 more (unless that’s really what the other offer is for) but what I’m asking to do is to match. Unfortunately, I would have to turn down your offer, even though I really prefer the role because I’m not independently wealthy. Money is a factor for me. I would be kidding you if I said anything to the contrary. All I am asking you do is match the other offer and I will commit to joining.”
Now, that’s a sincere approach because they’ll understand very clearly that you want to join. You are saying you will join. This is a tactic I’ve used when I did recruiting and I had people do this for themselves because they were put on the spot.
I just told him very simply, you may not have noticed this, but there’s no one with my last name on the list of wealthiest Americans in Forbes or in Fortune. My income is basically my value or what I need to support myself. It is not a big difference but, fundamentally, it is for me because I’m working to earn a living as well as do great work. I’ll simply say I would encourage you to match the other offer.
Now, if you are really feeling pointed, you can simply say, “the cost of going back and interview and reengage in this process or hiring the person who is second best, there is something in your mind that differentiated me from them. There is certainly an expense of going back and interviewing; it takes you away from your work; it takes your team away to evaluate people and, frankly, wouldn’t you rather just be done with it?
That works very well at a senior level. At average “Jane and Joe level,” just stick with the first half of it as I outlined. It works.
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS Career Advice globally because he makes many things in peoples’ careers easier. Those things can involve job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, career transition, as well as advice about resolving workplace issues.
He is the producer and former host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 3100 episodes. 
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