Setting Goals for Successful Negotiation

Most people treat a job offer like a take-it-or-leave-it proposition…Big mistake…👀 When a company extends an offer, they’re not just offering you money—they’re inviting you into a conversation. A negotiation. And how you handle that conversation can set the tone for your entire career there. Here’s the key: be curious, not combative. Questions to Ask After Receiving the Offer: To understand the offer: • “I really appreciate this offer—can you walk me through how you arrived at this number? It’ll help me better understand the framework.” • “What’s most important to the company in this compensation package—base salary, bonuses, equity, or benefits?” • “Are there opportunities to adjust parts of the package to better align with my contributions and market trends?” To uncover flexibility: • “If we were to explore adjustments, which areas would have the most flexibility?” • “How does this package compare to others for similar roles in the company?” • “What would it take to get closer to [specific figure or benefit] given the responsibilities we’ve discussed?” To gather more context: • “Does the team see this role as a critical growth driver? How can the compensation reflect that?” • “How does this package reflect the impact I’d be expected to deliver in the first 6-12 months?” • “What incentives are available for exceeding expectations in this role?” How to Propose Your Own Terms: Frame it as mutual problem-solving: • “I’d like to explore how we can adjust this package to better reflect the value I bring while aligning with your goals. Here’s what I had in mind…” • “Would it make sense to discuss a structure like [specific proposal] that better reflects the market for this role?” Anchor high with rationale: • “Based on my experience, the scope of this role, and market benchmarks, I was expecting something closer to [specific number or range]. How can we work together to close that gap?” • “For a role at this level with the impact we’ve discussed, I typically see packages in the range of [specific number or range]. Does that align with what’s possible here?” Be collaborative with priorities: • “I’m flexible on some elements of the package but prioritize [e.g., base salary or equity]. Could we explore adjustments in that area?” • “If adjusting the base salary isn’t possible, could we look at [specific alternatives like sign-on bonuses, stock options, or vacation time] instead?” Close with curiosity and an invitation to collaborate: • “How do you feel about this proposal? Is this something we could explore together?” • “What would you need from me to make this adjustment work on your end?” • “Are there other creative ways we can structure this to get closer to what I’m looking for?” The key is to make it clear you’re not demanding—you’re problem-solving together. This keeps the tone professional, collaborative, and respectful while ensuring you advocate for what you’re worth. #joboffer #negotiating #knowyourworth

Here’s the framework I used to help my client negotiate a 17% salary increase BEFORE they received an offer ↓ I call this the RAVE approach. Here’s how it works: R - Research 1. Conduct thorough research BEFORE the process starts - set goals - determine your priorities - determine your ‘walk-away’ number 2. Use sites like Fishbowl, Blind, Glassdoor to understand recent compensation packages. 3. Check sites like Payscale, and Levels[.]fyi to check general salary ranges. 4. Look at similar job descriptions in states like WA, and NY to see base salary ranges. Know your numbers before you say numbers. If you don’t know them, don’t provide them. Simply ask for more time and respond later. A - Articulate 1. Present your case clearly and persuasively. 2. Use logic, data, and evidence to support your position. 3. Address potential counter arguments proactively. ***Defer the negotiation to after the interview if possible. If you’re forced to provide an expectation, keep your answer minimally sufficient. V - Value *Your best negotiation tool is your interview. 1. Deliver clear examples of how you have created value for past customers and employers. 2. Connect your skills and experiences to return on investment (ROI) opportunities. 3. Leverage targeted pitch decks to explain how you would deliver results for the business. E - Explore 1. Consider all aspects of the offer once in hand. 2. Understand what components of the offer are negotiable, and prioritize them according to where you want to focus. 3. Common components often include: - Base salary - Sign on bonus - Equity, or restricted stock units - PTO - Work from home, or flexible location days 4. Establish common ground on areas of agreement when you counter. And remember; be reasonable and transparent. Hiring teams want you to be happy with your offer. Let them know if you’re not. - - - What would you add to this framework? Let me know in the comments.

When negotiating, do you think the big wins happen at the table? They don't! The real magic happens before the first word is spoken. Success in 80% of negotiations is due to preparation. It's taking small steps to control the process, foresee challenges, and set small goals. I coached a procurement manager stuck in a deadlock with a supplier. Both sides had drawn firm lines: • The supplier demanded upfront payments. • The procurement team refused. • They feared cash flow issues. For weeks, the talk had gone in circles. It made no progress. When I stepped in, I asked one question: “𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙?” The team realized the supplier's main concern wasn't money. It was to reduce delivery risks. By focusing on interests, not positions, we found a solution: 𝗔 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗽𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗽𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀. The result? The deal closed in two days, with terms that worked for both sides. That negotiation taught me this: →  Preparation isn't just logical. → It's also strategic and emotional. I'm happy to share here how I prepare for a negotiation: 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲. • Be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. • No vague goals like “get the best deal,” aim for concrete outcomes: → Add a long-term partnership clause → Reduce delivery timelines by 10% → Secure flexible payment terms 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. • Ask, why does the other side want this? • When you negotiate based on interests, you create options that meet both parties’ needs. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗢𝘀) • Successful comes with always having options ready. For example: → Offer A: A 5% discount for upfront payments. → Offer B: Standard payment terms and extended service coverage. If you present choices, you reduce deadlock and keep control of the conversation. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰—𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. • Practice self-awareness to stay composed under pressure. • Show empathy to build trust. • Use "Feel, Felt, Found" on objections, and it'll guide decisions. Negotiation is like a dance. Both sides need to move in sync, adjusting their steps as they go, to create a harmonious outcome. And the best dances are choreographed long before the music starts. So, what’s been your biggest negotiation breakthrough? Have you ever unlocked a deal by shifting focus from demands to solutions? Found success by preparing better than your counterpart? Drop your story in the comments—I’d love to hear it. Or DM me if this resonates with a challenge you’re navigating. Let’s talk about what works.

Your POC process is probably why you're not closing enterprise deals.   After analyzing POC outcomes across our portfolio, the data is clear: Companies with structured and priced POCs close 3x more deals than those running free pilots.   Why charge? Price signals seriousness. Even nominal fees filter serious buyers from tire-kickers. Frame your pilots as fixed-fee engagements: Say "we structure this as a 4-week, fixed-fee engagement to quantify value and build your business case."   Be sure to clarify pricing expectations in the process: If your pilot costs $5K but commercial deals are $100K-$300K based on the value unlocked, state this explicitly to avoid anchoring.   Here are 5 best POC best practices we see:   1. Define success criteria, not scope Align on specific KPIs, business outcomes, and who signs off before writing a line of code.   2. Time-box ruthlessly with weekly checkpoints POCs should run 30-90 days max. Set weekly or bi-weekly checkpoints to maintain urgency.   3. Pre-commit the path to commercial discussions Before starting any pilot, confirm that hitting the success metrics will trigger stakeholder presentations and commercial negotiations.   4. Demand access to the full buying center Technical users alone can't close deals. Ensure you meet decision-makers and budget holders during the POC, not after.   5. Document like a contract Formalize scope, terms, and deliverables in the agreement. Include specific responsibilities for both sides, data access requirements, success metrics, timelines, and post-POC commitments.   --   POCs are where your enterprise motion gets built. Treat them that way.   I wrote a guide to AI pricing with Madhavan Ramanujam and Joshua Bloom that discusses these ideas in more detail. If you're curious to dive deeper, I'll leave that link below. Also, Madhavan just released a new book called Scaling Innovation that also explores these topics. Highly recommend!

Q. Hi Liz, I am negotiating a job offer for a VP of HR role with a funded startup. How much severance (in the event of termination not for cause) should I aim for in my employment contract? A. For a VP of HR at a startup, aim for 6-12 months of base salary, plus extended benefits (health/COBRA for 6-12 mos) and accelerated equity vesting, negotiating 12+ months as a strong starting point, reflecting your senior role, potential impact, and the startup's risk. Leverage your executive status and the "not for cause" clause (like strategy shifts) to secure a robust package, potentially asking for 12-18 months or salary plus bonus. Negotiation Targets: Base Salary: 6-12 months is standard for VPs, but 12+ months (even up to 18) is a solid negotiation goal in a startup. Bonuses: Pro-rated bonus for the current year and payment of any earned but unpaid bonuses. Equity: Crucial for executives; negotiate accelerated vesting (e.g., vesting for 6-12 months post-termination) or continued vesting. Benefits: Extended health (COBRA) coverage for 6-12 months or more is vital. Perks: Outplacement services, positive reference letter, laptop retention. Negotiation Strategy: Research: Understand typical executive packages in your industry and for similar roles. Start High: Begin negotiations by asking for a more generous package (e.g., 12-18 months) to allow room to compromise. Focus on "Not For Cause": Emphasize that strategic changes (like a new direction) aren't performance-based, justifying more security. Consider Total Value: Don't just focus on cash; the value of equity, benefits, and perks can significantly increase the package's worth. Get it in Writing: Ensure all terms are in your initial employment agreement, not a separate policy. Legal Review: Have an employment lawyer review the final agreement. Here’s to you!

🙅 Get a Term Sheet With Bad Terms? Here's What to Do.. If you receive a term sheet with terms you think are bad for your startup, do the following.. 1️⃣ Understand the Terms I know this sounds obvious, but you'd be shocked how many smart founders miss critical details buried in the fine print. Do these three things: 🔍 Read Everything This seems obvious, but these terms are often buried in the fine print. 🙋♂️Ask Other Founders or Investors If you encounter an unfamiliar term, ask other founders or a trusted existing investor. They’re typically involved in multiple deals and can provide perspective. If you don’t have anyone to ask, e-mail (hsuken@) or DM me on Linkedin. 🧮 Calculate the Impact I often say “do the math,” but it’s especially true here. Model different scenarios to see how these terms affect you in various exit or future fundraising situations. 2️⃣ Generate Leverage The more an investor wants to invest in your startup, the more willing they’ll be to negotiate. Here's how to generate that leverage. 🚀 Strong Growth Nothing creates leverage like impressive metrics. The faster you're growing, the more investors will compromise 🪄 Multiple Term Sheets The magic words: "We have other interested parties" can work wonders ⏳ Runway If you have 6+ months of cash, you can walk away and find better terms elsewhere 3️⃣ Negotiate Every term is negotiable, but choose your battles wisely. 🎯 Focus on What Matters Most Prioritize terms affecting your control or economics (liquidation preferences, board seats, veto rights)/ 🔄 Suggest Alternatives Don't just say no; offer market-standard options that protect both sides ⚖️ Make Strategic Trade-Offs - Be willing to accept some less favorable terms to remove the truly problematic ones 📚 Reference Market Standards - Reference standard terms from organizations like Y Combinator, Iterative, or other investors. Negotiations require compromise. You won’t get everything you want but hopefully you can avoid some onerous terms. Negotiating is also a great way to learn what the working relationship might be like. I have some very savvy friends who negotiate for no other reason than to see how the other party handles themselves. If an investor is overly aggressive, unwilling to negotiate, and acting like you’re lucky to be talking to them, maybe think twice. If an investor is empathetic and addressing your concerns, that’s a promising start. Want more? Read the entire post (more terms, what to do, etc.) by finding the 📌 in the comments and following the link. Have you been able to negotiate away terms?

An eye-opening observation about strategic SaaS deals: Transformation deals don’t have to take 18 months. Here's how to cut big deal sales cycles by 50%: 1/ Create a distinct point of view for your industry (Discovery) Most sellers fail to articulate a broad vision for the industry they work in and focus on what their company does. That will drastically limit your deal size. Instead, become a “performance curator” using your existing largest customers. Leverage their facts and stories to paint a clear picture of the big vision in their space and generate authentic curiosity. This will help with gathering meaningful data during Discovery and move you faster to the Insights stage. 2/ Actively collaborate with the prospect on how to change (Insights) Most sellers take way too long to get to the Insights stage, if it all. They think closing a deal is solely about teaching and persuading, rather than collaborating and co-designing something together. After gathering and receiving the prospect’s data, now will be the time when you bring together their change drivers and your subject matter experts (SMEs). I found the best way to do this is set up a design session, or what’s known as a “Lighthouse Workshop.” The goal of the session is to suspend limiting beliefs and get out of status-quo thinking. This is where both sides can open up on how to ideally tackle big problems and go after “moonshot” ideas.” 3/ Drive home why the prospect needs to change now (Accelerate) After too much time passes on working a large deal, most sellers get frustrated and deal-fatigued. This is when they get sloppy, succumb to the pressures of their management, and default to discounting to try to accelerate deal closure. That leads to an erosion of trust and quickly devaluing your solution. Instead, after completing a successful design session together where you architected the ideal way to operate, develop a narrative proposal and business case to secure (or create) budget. Make sure both executive sponsors (yours and theirs) sign off on it before it gets positioned inside their org. Both sides should have their hands on the proposal, ensuring it includes their specific terminology, initiatives, and realistic KPIs. This will help you accelerate closing the deal without compromising your reputation or cutting costs unnecessarily. If you're struggling to close large transformation deals within a calendar year, these are 3 great ways to enhance your approach. And remember this mantra at all times: "Less, but better." You already know quality is better than quantity at this level of sales... But are you truly living it? Those at the top are. 🐝

Last month, I watched a startup agree to unlimited liability for a $2,000/month SaaS contract. The vendor's standard terms. "Industry practice," they said. Well, I didn’t actually watch a start-up do that. I would never allow it. But this is an actual real-life risk. Most companies get limitation of liability clauses catastrophically wrong —(em dash mine 😂) not because they don't negotiate them, but because they negotiate the wrong parts. Below, I discuss, what I see companies miss and share a 3-step framework that actually protects you. The Problem: Everyone Focuses on the Cap Amount Standard negotiation: "Can we cap liability at 12 months of fees instead of 6 months?" What you're missing: The structure, carve-outs, and scope matter more than the number. Real example: A fintech company negotiated their payment processor's liability cap from $100K to $500K. Felt good, right? Wrong. When a data breach exposed 50K customer records, they discovered the cap didn't apply to regulatory fines. Total cost: $2.3M in penalties, customer settlements, and remediation. The cap was irrelevant. The carve-outs killed them. My 3-Step Liability Framework: ▪️Step 1: Map Your Real Risk Exposure Before you negotiate caps, understand what you're actually exposed to: Direct costs: Breach response, system recovery, regulatory fines Indirect costs: Customer churn, reputational damage, business interruption Third-party costs: Customer lawsuits, partner claims, regulatory investigations Question to ask: "If this vendor fails spectacularly, what's our all-in cost to recover?" That's your baseline for liability discussions. ▪️Step 2: Structure the Cap (Don't Just Set a Number) Mutual vs. Unilateral: When to accept unilateral: When you're the higher-risk party (e.g., you're processing their sensitive data) When to demand mutual: When risks are balanced or you're the customer Proportionate vs. Fixed Caps: My preference: Proportionate caps with minimums. "Greater of $100K or 12 months fees" protects you in small contracts while scaling with larger deals. Multiple vs. Aggregate Limits: Default position: Per incident caps. You don't want one big failure to exhaust the vendor's liability for future incidents. ▪️Step 3: Get the Carve-Outs Right This is where most contracts fail. The cap is meaningless if everything that matters is carved out. Standard carve-outs I insist on: Data breaches/privacy violations IP infringement Willful misconduct/gross negligence Breach of confidentiality Resist: vague “any breach” or undefined “consequential damages.” Limitation of liability clauses should be properly used for allocating risk to the party best positioned to prevent and absorb it. #ContractNegotiation #RiskManagement #CommercialLaw #LegalOps #InHouseCounsel #ContractStrategy #LiabilityLimitation #VendorManagement #ContractReview #StartupGC #LegalRisk #CommercialContracts

Two weeks before contract signature, my incumbent supplier added £240,000 to the price. And I was meant to be on a flight to Spain. 9 months of procurement work Countless stakeholder workshops. A high-profile transformation hanging in the balance Now, my “done deal” had just exploded in cost Egg about to be smeared all over my face My CIO was saying: “We can’t delay. Just make it happen.” Instead of wine with my husband and parents in Alicante, I was pacing my flat in Manchester. Back then, I had plenty of negotiation tactics in my head. But my “strategy” was really just random acts of tactics. A push-back here A vague threat to re-tender there An awkward silence for good measure There was no system No process Just grasping Since then, I’ve built a step-by-step procurement negotiation framework I use whenever a supplier tries to move the goalposts. Here are my first 4 with real procurement examples: 1️⃣ Re-anchor to value before price Suppliers want you focused on the increase. You want them focused on the deal. "Before we talk numbers, let’s recap what’s on the table so we’re aligned." Spend 3-4 minutes on: 🔹The business problem 🔹Why they were selected (unique capabilities) 🔹The agreed scope 🔹The business impact if delayed Example: "This upgrade eliminates £500k a year in manual workarounds and is on track for a Q4 launch, which is critical for your client references in this sector." Now a pure “price increase” conversation is twice as hard for them to win. 2️⃣ Get all the asks on the table When you re-anchor, they’ll hit you with one demand. Example: "We need two extra consultants to meet your timeline." Don’t solve it yet. "If we worked with you on that, what else would be in the way of moving forward?" Keep asking until they say: “Nothing else.” Then confirm: "So if we resolved X, Y, Z, there’s nothing else stopping us from signing?" 3️⃣ Stack rank their demands Suppliers will give you a laundry list, new resources, extended payment terms, travel expenses.... Make them prioritise: "Which is most important to you, and which least?" Now you can decide where to give a little to protect what really matters. 4️⃣ Uncover the real driver If you negotiate only on what they ask for, you’re bartering. You need the why. Example: "What’s driving the need for two extra consultants?" 🔸Maybe they’re short-staffed 🔸Maybe it’s risk avoidance 🔸Maybe they’ve overpromised internally Once you know, you can: 💠 Offer your own project resources for certain tasks 💠 Shift non-critical deliverables to phase two 💠 Negotiate a capped rate for the additional consultants That 2016 project? The supplier walked away with scope they could deliver comfortably. We walked away £180k under their revised ask. And I still caught the last two days with my family in Spain. -- Enjoyed this? I write more Procurement stories in my newsletter. Link in my highlights.

Gong analyzed 42,945 closing calls to figure out what actually closes deals. I just read their research. It changed how I think about sales. Here's what they found: (spoiler: not your closing tricks) 1) Successful vs Unsuccessful Closing Calls Are Identical: → Same talk-to-listen ratio → Same no. of questions asked → Same interactivity level (speaker switches/min) → Same everything You can’t spot a win or loss just by the convo 2) Discovery Calls? Totally Diff: → Talk-to-listen ratio: huge gap between won/lost → Questions asked: direct correlation to deal success → Interactivity: winning demos are 2x more interactive → The trajectory is set here, not at closing 3) Asteroid Principle: → A tiny asteroid shift when far from Earth, changes everything → Once in the atmosphere: too late, outcome sealed → Early sales process: buyer perceptions in flux, easily shaped → Late sales process: solid perception; locked preference: point of no return → Closing tricks don't help 4) Competitive Mentions: → Discuss competitors early: increases win rate → Discuss competitors at closing: decreases win rate → Early: you set the rules of the game in your favor → Late: you're trying to convince against choosing the competition  → Competitive deals won with discovery techniques, not closing techniques 5) The ONE Difference That Matters: → Topics the prospect raises during the close call → Successful closings: buyer asks- SLAs, implementation, customer success, pricing details, long-term partnerships → These are "pre-purchase jitters" = buyer is ready, wants reassurance → Unsuccessful closings: buyer isn't asking these because they're not ready → It’s about the prospect’s readiness not the seller’s technique 6) Your Job on Closing Calls: → Don't close: Lead → Don't push, manipulate or pressure → Lead through emotional hurdles → Provide authentic reassurance → Clear confusion  → Show long-term commitment through behavior → Be decisive & recommend the right path → This is a mode of operation 7) What You Control: → Frame their problems & define their buying criteria early → Shape their perceptions while they’re flexible → Set competitive positioning before others  → Ask questions that uncover real needs → Drive interactive dialogue in early demos → Build trust upfront 8) The Math: → 1M+ calls & 42,945 closing calls studied → Near 0 behavioral diff between won vs lost closing calls → Huge behavioral diff in early-stage calls → Result: deals decided early, executed late 9) Implementation: → Focus on mastering discovery instead of closing tricks → Train reps on early-stage conversations → Record + analyze discovery calls, not closing calls → Fix talk-to-listen ratio early → Ask more questions in discovery (direct driver of success) → Build interactive demos (2x more ping-pong = 2x more wins) The deal is won in discovery; the closing call just exposes the result. Hours spent on closing tactics vanish. Hours spent mastering discovery compound.