Hey friends, “You always say not to share my preferred salary with the company. But if I don’t share it, what if they anchor me too low?” This is a question that comes up often in our Q&As or when we work with clients. You may have heard of anchoring in Negotiation 101. It means the number that’s thrown into the discussion first will shape the rest of the negotiation and inform the ultimate number you end up with. However, job offer negotiations are more complex, and this does not necessarily...
5 days ago • 1 min read
We blame Hollywood for branding negotiations as an intense, zero-sum power play. Many people imagine having to channel a buttoned up lawyer like Harvey Specter from the TV show Suits or a calculated, stoic CEO in a boardroom meeting. But most real-world negotiations are a lot less dramatic. In fact, we argue that you generally achieve the most optimal negotiation outcomes if you approach them with collaboration, goodwill, and even creativity. In this week’s episode of Gentle Power (YouTube |...
9 days ago • 4 min read
Happy holidays, friends! Over the past few weeks in our recent Q&A sessions and client work, the same handful of questions came up again and again. We pulled together short, practical answers as a quick reference, in case any of these applies to you right now: 1️⃣ "If I’m happy with the first offer, do I still need to negotiate?"Yes. Negotiating is a common business practice, especially for people with multiple job offers or facing limitations like needing to work fully remotely. Companies...
12 days ago • 2 min read
Hi, Gerta here! 👋 A question that comes up all the time with clients is whether it makes sense to negotiate for your "ideal" number, for example: “If they give me $300K, I’ll be satisfied. Can I just ask for that?” I don’t recommend it. Here’s why: 1️⃣ You will likely end up with a lower number. The common practice in negotiations (though not what we recommend) is to ask for a number higher than what you would accept, therefore, the other party will likely come lower.2️⃣ If you’re considering...
17 days ago • 1 min read
Most of our episodes are about job offers, compensation, and business deals. Our latest podcast episode of Gentle Power (YouTube | Spotify | Apple) took a slightly different route: power in love and dating. Not in the cringe way people sometimes hear the word “negotiation” in relationships, as in strong-arming someone into what you want. More in the human dynamics way. The stuff that shows up in every relationship, professional or personal. The big theme we kept circling was a little...
19 days ago • 4 min read
Hey friends, Alex here! Sharing a personal story of a time I turned down a job offer, and interestingly, the company wanted me even more. I think the way that I rejected them was key. I hope reading about my approach is useful in your own job search journey. And I brought receipts: also including below the screenshots of the actual email exchanges I had with the company. Feel free to steal :) Last chance: final negotiation Q&A of 2025! (+ free gift for attendees) Quick PSA: our last Q&A of...
24 days ago • 3 min read
Anyone who has purchased or sold a home will attest to how real estate negotiations can be a whole mix of emotion, timing, expertise, and human connection. This week on Gentle Power (YouTube | Spotify | Apple), we sat down with Victor Hsu, a New York-based real estate broker who specializes in helping families from abroad, primarily from China, navigate the US market. Victor works on everything from luxury townhouses to fast moving rentals. One story he shared stood out and took Instagram by...
26 days ago • 4 min read
Hey, Gerta here! Sharing some learnings that came up recently from working with execs. Here are my observations and hypotheses as to why: 1️⃣ Execs are over-confident. They think they’re great negotiators. And they are! But that doesn't mean they’re not leaving value on the table. So they bring into negotiations the confidence that serves them well in most other settings, instead of a humble, creative, and collaborative disposition that's needed in an effective negotiation. And that often...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
There’s one insight from our client work that many people would find surprising: mid-career professionals often land stronger increases, both in percentage terms and in absolute dollars, than do senior executives. At first glance, it feels counterintuitive. Senior leaders negotiate business deals, oversee large teams and budgets, and carry higher titles that signal experience and competence. But job offer negotiations draw on a different set of muscles, and the instincts that help people...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read