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I thought negotiation books were all hype until one trick doubled my raise

Back in March I was getting ready for my annual review at a dental office in Phoenix. I had been reading "Getting to Yes" just to see what the fuss was about. Figured it was all theory. Then I tried the anchoring technique they talk about. I asked for $8,000 more than what I actually wanted. They came back with $4,000 over my original target. That extra $4k is real money. Has anyone else found a single trick from a career book that actually worked for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbaraw471mo ago

Tried that anchoring trick once but I screwed it up by asking for $20,000 more than I actually wanted for a freelance gig. They just laughed and said no. I sat there like an idiot realizing I should have read the book first instead of just winging it based on a post I skimmed on Reddit. Eventually I got the job but at my original rate, which felt like a loss even though it was what I was happy with before. So I guess the real lesson was that anchoring works better when you don't anchor yourself to the ceiling.

laura1891mo ago

Yes! That anchoring trick is no joke. I tried the same thing after reading "Getting to Yes" and asked for way more than I thought I'd get, and was shocked when they actually met me halfway. That extra cash felt like found money.