Negotiation Tips to Empower Women

Female managers often underestimate their value when negotiating raises and promotions, Smith School Vice Dean Joyce Russell told participants Oct. 10, 2014, during the keynote address at the National Association of Women MBAs Conference and Career Fair near Washington, D.C.

“For women to ascend and break through to the top, they must succeed at negotiating,” said Russell, author of the weekly Career Coach column for the Washington Post. “Yet research shows that women are less likely than men to ask for raises, promotions and better job opportunities. When they do speak up, they do not ask for enough and are not persistent in their requests.”

Besides Russell, 18 other Smith representatives participated as panelists and moderators at the Smith-sponsored event in Crystal City, Va. Russell shared 10 tips to help women close the negotiations gap.

1. Recognize opportunities. “You have to recognize that employers expect that you will ask questions, and that you will negotiate,” Russell said. “You have to ask.
2. Prepare, prepare, prepare. “Negotiators must research their market value and the company,” Russell said. “Figure out what you want and why.”
3. Use an appropriate style. “To influence others, women are expected to be nice,” Russell said. “This does not mean women should back down.”
4. Consider relationships. “Women need to approach negotiation as a chance to share ideas and work together to solve problems,” Russell said. “Be hard on the problem and soft on the people.”
5. Establish a BATNA. “Determine a BATNA, your best alternative to a negotiated agreement,” Russell said. “Make your BATNA as attractive as possible.”
6. Set higher targets. “Someone with lower goals often makes concessions faster than someone with higher goals who will frequently hold out longer to get more,” Russell said.
7. Display self-confidence. “To set higher goals and hold out longer, women need self-confidence in negotiating,” Russell said. “Self-management training helps.”
8. Practice. “Script out what you will say and how you will say it.” Russell said. “Practice your discussions with friends, family and professionals.”
9. Find powerful mentors. “It is critical for women to have strong advocates in powerful positions to teach them the unwritten rules for advancement,” Russell said.
10. Stretch yourself. “One of the most powerful ways to advance is by learning on the job,” Russell said. “Make sure to ask for developmental opportunities and high visibility assignments.”