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I'm gonna ignore the fact that this is for Amazon, which has its own criticism. Anybody who is baffled by the author's insistence on $170-200k but the offer of

I'm gonna ignore the fact that this is for Amazon, which has its own criticism. Anybody who is baffled by the author's insistence on $170-200k but the offer of low 6 figures needs to read up on negotiation. I recommend the various videos/books/posts by Ramit Sethi that are specific to salary negotiation. If you give the number first, you lose. They will only negotiate downward from there. You can deflect in a million different ways (which are covered by Ramit extensively), and each time you deflect your advantage increases. They can persist in a million different ways ("I'm sorry, this is just procedure" is probably the most common), but if you cave and give them a number, it will only go down from there. If you give them a range, the best offer you will ever get is the low part of the range. Don't give them a number...wait for them to offer, then negotiate upwards.

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linkregister 10y ago
I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with this as a steadfast maxim. I think overall your statement fits maybe even 75% of negotiations but many do not fit this mold. Overall, your BATNA (and your counterparty's) is the most important factor in the negotiation. Numbers can certainly go up, especially with changes in your BATNA. Case in point: "I've just received a higher offer; I would accept yours if you could match it + $10k." People post articles on HN all the time talking about how they get companies to outbid each other. More important than "never giving the number first" is being steadfast in what you want (within realistic bounds). I have followed both styles but haven't been penalized by starting with the number first. If you're the best candidate, the company will pay what you insist on. Otherwise, the "never giving the number first" was never going to work to begin with.
hellogoodbyeeee 10y ago
That is the traditional advice, but I'm not sure how true it is. You should read up on the anchoring principle. Basically, all negotiations revolve around the first number given, so it is often in your best interest to throw out a large number.
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linkregister 10y ago

I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with this as a steadfast maxim. I think overall your statement fits maybe even 75% of negotiations but many do not fit this mold. Overall, your BATNA (and your counterparty's) is the most important factor in the negotiation. Numbers can certainly go up, especially with changes in your BATNA. Case in point: "I've just received a higher offer; I would accept yours if you could match it + $10k." People post articles on HN all the time talking about how they get companies to outbid each other. More important than "never giving the number first" is being steadfast in what you want (within realistic bounds). I have followed both styles but haven't been penalized by starting with the number first. If you're the best candidate, the company will pay what you insist on. Otherwise, the "never giving the number first" was never going to work to begin with.

hellogoodbyeeee 10y ago

That is the traditional advice, but I'm not sure how true it is. You should read up on the anchoring principle. Basically, all negotiations revolve around the first number given, so it is often in your best interest to throw out a large number.

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