I have come across this fact with many of my customers and it always surprises me that they are taken aback by candidates who want to negotiate. One thing that business development salespeople do is negotiate. They live for the hunt which includes qualifying a deal and influencing the money structure to their benefit. Generally speaking, a good hunter knows he or she is good at what they do and they also know that companies are willing to pay for their skills.
That being said (or written?), hiring managers should not be put off by sales candidates who want to discuss (i.e. negotiate) the salary of the position. Salary.com ran a survey recently and found this:
Thirty-seven percent of people always negotiate salary while 44 percent say they negotiate occasionally.
Just more than 18 percent—nearly one-fifth—of people we surveyed never negotiate their salaries. Ever.
Interesting isn’t it? 18% never negotiate salary while 37% do. It would be more interesting to know how many sales candidates negotiate salary. I personally enjoy a good negotiation with a candidate. This activity provides some insight into how they will handle a negotiation with a prospect. You will see both their strategic and tactical approach to money. Do not underestimate the value in this activity.