Negotiate with a business case

You negotiate after they want you, not in the first screen (beyond stating a researched range). You negotiate with market context and your relevant value—not with rent, a car payment, or a speech about what you ‘deserve.’

The four moves

1. 01Research — role, level, location, scope. Keep two or three comps.
2. 02Prioritize — know whether base, start date, title, flexibility, PTO, signing bonus, or equipment matters most. You rarely get everything.
3. 03Make the case — two sentences of market + two sentences of proof + a specific ask.
4. 04Document — get the final terms in writing before you resign anywhere else.

I’m excited about the coordinator role and the team. Based on the scope we discussed—PO aging, carrier windows, and covering the customer desk—and on ranges for similar coordinator seats in Portland, I was targeting $58,000 to $62,000. Is there room to move the base from $55,000 to $60,000? If base is tight, I’d also look at an earlier 401(k) match, a small signing bonus, or a 90-day title review. I want to say yes.

Thank you for the offer of Operations Coordinator at $55,000, start date April 14. I am prepared to accept and I want to align compensation with the scope. For this market and the hybrid desk-plus-dock responsibilities we discussed, I am requesting $60,000 base. If the band cannot move there, I would consider $57,500 plus a $2,000 signing bonus or PTO starting at three weeks. Happy to talk live this afternoon.

If they say the band is closed

Ask about start date, title, review date, remote days, equipment, relocation, and professional development. Then decide. Do not punish yourself with a week of extra groveling after a clear no. Do not accept a number below your walk-away because the manager is charming.