This may sound silly but I need some advice on how to handle a salary negotiation for a new job. A little history about myself; I have never really had a real job before. I've worked at a coffee shop, for an ice skating rink, at a retail store, and for a small landscape company all when I was in high school. After high school I started my own landscaping company and grew it to a point where it was more attractive to sell it (the accounts / contracts, equipment and trucks) then to continue running it. Which brings me to my current predicament. I have a job lined up to begin after the 1st of the year. I know very little about the job other than it is in sales and a brief bit about what the company sells. It's a long story on how I got the job; in a nut shell it is a family friend who has known me for years. He mentioned he needed a salesman casually to me at a dinner party. I went into his office basically to see what they do and to get a few details about the position, etc. I have a meeting scheduled with him next week to hammer out some final details and to ask my many questions but unless he / I say something unexpected I'm expected / expecting to start 1-3-05.
The thing that I'm most curious / cautious about is the discussion about salary. I've never done anything like this before as the real jobs I've had were basic minimum (or very close) wage jobs. I don't know if when we have our sit down next week if when he says $xx,xxx if that is his first, last and best offer or if it is a jumping off point. I know what I need to live on and what I need to live the life I'd like to live on and (dreaming) to live the life I fantasize about. When he says $xx,xxx (assuming it's in the ballpark) do I just take it and be happy until the performance evaluation? Do I get a couple of days to think about it and research what similar positions are paying? I obviously know how to react if it is higher than what I'm expecting but what if it's considerably lower? Also, how does a salary negotiation go? I know what it's like to be on the other side of the table from doing it with my landscaping employees but I have no idea how to handle this in a professional, courteous, well thought out, intelligent manner. I wish I had an inkling of an idea of what the pay will be but I don't have the foggiest. My mom says I'm worth 'a lot' and I tend to believe her but she won't specify how much 'a lot' is. I imagine she's saying that so she isn't stuck in some dump of an old-folks-home but little does she know I've already picked it out regardless of my income. Anywhoo, I know that the salary is based on many things, especially responsibilities, of which I don't know the specifics for this job which sucks being in my position walking into a salary negotiation. So, any advice will be greatly appreciated on how to handle / what to say / etc for this meeting.
I have confidence that he is not out to screw me, his wife fine but not him. ooohhh, his wife, yummie. Anywhoo, I don't think he's going to low ball me but I want to have my ducks in a row as much as possible before walking in there.
The thing that I'm most curious / cautious about is the discussion about salary. I've never done anything like this before as the real jobs I've had were basic minimum (or very close) wage jobs. I don't know if when we have our sit down next week if when he says $xx,xxx if that is his first, last and best offer or if it is a jumping off point. I know what I need to live on and what I need to live the life I'd like to live on and (dreaming) to live the life I fantasize about. When he says $xx,xxx (assuming it's in the ballpark) do I just take it and be happy until the performance evaluation? Do I get a couple of days to think about it and research what similar positions are paying? I obviously know how to react if it is higher than what I'm expecting but what if it's considerably lower? Also, how does a salary negotiation go? I know what it's like to be on the other side of the table from doing it with my landscaping employees but I have no idea how to handle this in a professional, courteous, well thought out, intelligent manner. I wish I had an inkling of an idea of what the pay will be but I don't have the foggiest. My mom says I'm worth 'a lot' and I tend to believe her but she won't specify how much 'a lot' is. I imagine she's saying that so she isn't stuck in some dump of an old-folks-home but little does she know I've already picked it out regardless of my income. Anywhoo, I know that the salary is based on many things, especially responsibilities, of which I don't know the specifics for this job which sucks being in my position walking into a salary negotiation. So, any advice will be greatly appreciated on how to handle / what to say / etc for this meeting.
I have confidence that he is not out to screw me, his wife fine but not him. ooohhh, his wife, yummie. Anywhoo, I don't think he's going to low ball me but I want to have my ducks in a row as much as possible before walking in there.