Never negotiate on the phone. Always via email.
Here’s why:
- It avoids he/she said situations later if something isn’t written down. Trust me people “forget” all the time what they said.
- Almost no one I have worked with (1500 plus clients) is good at negotiating on the phone. It’s hard to have a clear head and do that math you need quickly. Heck I do salary negotiation for a living and still prefer to negotiate via email.
- Recruiters are very experienced at negotiating. You are not. They do this multiple times a month. You might do it 5-10 times in your life.
- Email gives you time to have a clear, well thought out response. It’s less about emotions and more about facts.
- Phone is best for when you have already agreed to terms and are just finalizing things like start date.
