Hi Reader,
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In this week's episode of our podcast, Gentle Power, we shared some behind-the-scenes moments on how we communicate with each other, pondered what kind of approach and vibe could make our podcast most compelling, and of course, negotiation lessons from how we helped a past client navigate a very unique, interesting ask she had for her next job offer. Check out the full episode here: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts​

Also, a quick shoutout to our friend Meredith’s podcast, Powerful Stuff, where Gerta was a guest previously. If you love positive vibes mixed with insightful tips and conversations, it’s definitely worth a listen. Check out the episode here on YouTube or Spotify.

Our Messaging App Multiverse: Where Each Area of Life Gets Its Own Channel

First up – we talked about the many ways Gerta and I stay connected with our various circles throughout the day. It didn’t really hit us how many messaging apps we use exclusively with different communities until we started talking about it in this episode. WhatsApp and iMessage for our friends, KakaoTalk for Alex’s family (most popular messaging app with Koreans), Viber for Gerta’s family, Facebook Groups for alums of our colleges and former coworkers, Slack for our business partners, Instagram for memes, Signal for very private chats between Gerta and me.

Does anyone else do this? We’d love to hear what other apps our readers use to stay connected with their various circles. Just reply back to this email, and perhaps we’ll share the most interesting responses in a future newsletter.

Chit-Chat or Cut to the Chase? Help Us Decide!

We also discussed our approach to podcast structure – is the personal chit-chat at the top a fun way to connect or a distraction from the core content? We’re still figuring it out, but we’d love to hear your take – do you enjoy the unstructured banter, or would you prefer we dive straight into the negotiation lessons? Hit reply and let us know.

Turning a Niche Request into a $40K Salary Increase

In this episode, we dove deep into a negotiation case study that underscored the importance of clarity, timing, and prioritization when negotiating your next offer.

We covered a fascinating case study of a past client who was a new mom and whose dream job offer she was negotiating required frequent travel. When she shared with us her list of priorities for what she was looking for in her next role, it included a very unique ask that she was intent on securing: reimbursement for breast milk delivery service while she was away from home. It was a highly specific parental benefit – one that could have been difficult for the company to approve, especially as it was not a standard offering.

However, as we dug deeper into her priorities, we realized that the underlying concern wasn’t just about breast milk delivery – it was about cash. Our research showed that such a benefit would amount to $2,000-$3,000 per year, so we had her adjust her negotiation strategy to focus on just increasing cash compensation. Ultimately, we achieved a $40K base salary increase instead. This approach not only more than covered the cost of the delivery service but also set her up for long-term financial gain that extended far beyond the $2-3K annual cost of the service.

1. Takeaway #1: Prioritize Strategically - When you ask for too many unique or custom benefits early on, it can drain your negotiation capital. Instead, identify the ask that will have the most significant impact and focus your strategy there. In this case, by centering the negotiation around the base salary, we were able to secure a much larger, recurring financial win.
2. Takeaway #2: Consider Timing - Timing your asks is as critical as the ask itself. In the episode, Alex shares a personal story about negotiating early in the process for time off for a wedding that was to take place in the first week of his new job, only to find out later that it didn’t require any special approvals. Yet, the company made it seem like a significant concession, limiting Alex’s ability to push for more on other more important priorities like increases to base salary and equity.
3. Takeaway #3: Distill Complex Asks into Financial Wins - Our client’s breast milk delivery service ask was unconventional, but by breaking it down to a simple dollar amount and rolling it into her base salary increase, we avoided a complex negotiation that might have drawn unnecessary energy and attention.

Curious how this strategy could apply to your next negotiation? Tune in to the full episode here and learn how to get crystal clear on your priorities to maximize your outcome.

What’s your biggest negotiation priority right now? Hit reply – we’d love to hear it.
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See you next week,

Gerta & Alex
​Co-founders, YourNegotiations.com
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P.S. For more tips and real-life scripts, check out our free resources at YourNegotiations.com​.

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