Hi Reader,

Something exciting happened last week: Gerta was featured in Business Insider!

This article covers the negotiation myths in comp negotiations that we see most often, including ones that most career coaches still repeat. The reason Gerta's take is different is that she spent years on the other side of the table at Salary.com, advising hundreds of companies on how to pay their employees. She's seen what the data actually says, and more importantly, she's seen how companies actually use it.

Here's a quick summary of the four myths she addresses in the article:

1. That market research tells you what to ask for.

At Salary.com, Gerta had access to hundreds of thousands of data points filtered by industry, location, and company size. What she saw was that companies would pay for that data and then often go in a different direction anyway.

Every organization and every team has its own compensation philosophy and its own budget. The best leverage is, of course, to get another offer. But you can still negotiate an incredible deal even if you don’t have other offers, as long as you navigate the process with professionalism, diplomacy, and strategy; for example, by preserving your leverage by not oversharing.

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​2. That you should give a number.

Most people think they need to come in asking for a specific number. Gerta's advice is the opposite: don't give one.

You can't know what a company's budget actually is. It's shaped by internal factors you're never going to see from the outside. Giving a number means you either leave money on the table or risk them thinking you’re greedy or that you simply won’t be happy there.

3. That playing it cool helps your position.

Some candidates go into negotiations trying to seem hard to get. Gerta says this usually backfires.

Showing genuine excitement for the role actually offsets the friction of negotiating. Companies want to hire people who want to be there. Enthusiasm and negotiating aren't in conflict, they actually support each other.

4. That over-communicating builds trust.

Over-communicating and being transparent is a great quality in an employee, but in a negotiation, it works against you.

Sharing too much, including details of who else you're interviewing with, how long you've been job searching, or your personal plans, gives the other side information they can use. Keep more to yourself than feels comfortable.

Those are the highlights, but the full article has more context of the specific reasoning behind each point. It's worth reading in full.

The full piece on Business Insider here: https://www.businessinsider.com/salary-consultant-warns-against-common-negotiation-myths-2026-4​

And if you’re job searching or have an upcoming negotiation and want to talk through your specific situation, book a free call with us: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call​

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Best,

Gerta & Alex​
​Founders, YourNegotiations.com

P.S. Are you job searching or have upcoming negotiations?

Book a free call with us, where we’ll learn more about your situation, offer some free tips, and explore if we’re a good fit to work together: https://calendly.com/alexhapki/call​

P.P.S. Know someone interested in negotiations?

Send them our way and we’ll thank you with $250 for each person who becomes a client. No cap.

A quick intro or an email to alex@yournegotiations.com works.