Roleplaying Your Salary Negotiation: How To Do It Right in 9 Steps

Roleplaying your salary negotiation is a great way to practice and hone your negotiating skills. By roleplaying, you can identify potential obstacles and develop strategies to overcome them. You can also get a feel for the negotiation process and learn what works and what doesn't. Here are some tips to get the most out of your roleplaying:

1. Set the scene

Create a realistic scenario for your roleplay. This could be based on a real-life salary negotiation or be completely fictional. Either way, make sure that the details of the scenario are clear so that everyone understands what's at stake.

Here are two roleplay examples -

Roleplay Example #1:

You are a recent college graduate who has just been offered your first job. The salary is $30,000 per year. You would like to negotiate for a higher salary, but you are not sure how to do so.

The company has told you that they are willing to offer you a higher salary, but they are not sure how much to give you. They have asked you to come up with a figure that you think is fair.

Roleplay Example #2:

We're going to imagine that you and your colleagues from the research department have been called in for a meeting with your boss. She's asked you to negotiate for a raise. You'll be negotiating as a team, so everyone needs to know how much money is on the table. Make sure everyone understands how many people are involved in the negotiation and what their individual goals are.

After you have set the scene clearly, follow the rest of the points below to prepare and start roleplaying.

2. Be prepared

Before you start roleplaying, do your homework. If you're basing the scenario on a real negotiation, research the company's salary ranges and benefits package. If you're making up the scenario, come up with a fair salary range and a list of benefits that both parties can realistically expect to receive. This way, you can make sure that there is actually something meaningful for every party to negotiate for.

It is also important to sketch out a rough flow and rules of the negotiations to make sure that the roleplay doesn't go off rails.

For instance, you can use the following rough guidelines to prepare for your roleplay:

a) Opening statement from both parties: The applicant will state their desire for the job, while the employer outlines what they're looking for in an applicant. The opening statements should outline what is already known about each other and set the stage for further negotiation.

b) Jot Down Key Negotiation Pointers and Techniques: The key to a successful negotiation is compromise. Both sides will need to make some concessions in order to reach an agreement that satisfies both parties. Be prepared to haggle over salary, benefits, vacation days, and other key points. By jotting down these key pointers, you can make sure that you and your partner won't go off rail during negotiations, whilst having a solid foundation to compare the differences between how you think your negotiation will go and how it actually went. This comparison serves as a great tool for feedback after the roleplay.

c) Closing statement from both parties: Once an agreement has been reached, both sides will recap what was agreed upon and sign the contract. This is the end of the roleplay.

3. Assign roles

Once you've set the scene and prepared your material, it's time to assign roles. One person should play the employer and one person should play the employee.

A factor to consider when assigning roles is the consideration of negotiating power. If you're struggling to see which person has more negotiating power in a given situation, think about who stands to lose the least from a no-deal situation because, typically, this is the person with all the power. Ideally, you should get used to both scenarios where you have more power than the other party during negotiations, and vice versa.

There are a few other things you should keep in mind when roleplaying your salary negotiation. First, be sure to choose a role that is relevant to your real-life situation. For example, if you are a woman negotiating for a higher salary, you may want to roleplay a male boss to make sure you feel comfortable negotiating with the opposite sex and vice versa. Secondly, be sure to choose a role that you feel uncomfortable in, which will help you overcome your fears during the real negotiation. This will also allow you to think from the other party's perspective, which is the main goal in negotiation roleplays.

4. Prepare talking points

Do some brainstorming individually, then come together to compare notes while one person plays the neutral role of a note taker. Preparing talking points will help you stay organized and focused during the negotiation itself and keep all participants on equal footing - having this time lets each of you plan what topics you'll bring up (and when) without over-influence from the other sides' viewpoints. These talking points should not be scripted dialogue but bullet points summarizing goals and key information that needs to be communicated during each section of your salary negotiation roleplay! There is no point in memorizing entire

You should also prepare a pitch directly related to your salary history and what your salary expectations are.

Be sure to have this information ready before you begin negotiations. You should also be prepared to explain why you are worth more than your previous salary. For example, if you have received raises or promotions in the past, be sure to mention these during negotiations.

4a. Negotiate in Person

If possible, it is always best to negotiate in person. This allows you to build a rapport with your potential employer and gives them a chance to see your body language. It is also important to remember that negotiating over the phone or via email can be more difficult, as it can be harder to gauge the other person’s reaction. If you must negotiate over the phone or via email, be sure to be clear and concise in your requests.

5. Carry out the negotiation

Once you know who is going to play which role, it's time for the negotiation itself. Start by giving each party 10 minutes to write down what they want from the negotiations. Encourage each person to think about how they would approach this particular negotiation. What are their goals? How will they try to achieve them? What tactics might they use? Then, start the official negotiations and get into character.

Here's a likely salary negotiation scenario:

Let's say you're playing the role of the boss. You are likely to be focused on getting the most value out of your employees while still paying them a fair wage. You will want to keep your team happy but your won't want to overspend.

Your colleagues will be more focused on getting the best possible deal for themselves. They'll want to make sure they're being paid fairly for their work and that they have room for advancement.

You will need to then be well prepared in countering points raised by your colleagues in a courteous manner, whilst anticipating what possible next moves your colleagues might take.

In addition, some negotiators recommend using cardboards during negotiations, where different outcomes are written on them. This is meant to give both parties something tangible to hang onto during negotiations so that they can see and feel the potential end results.

6. Make your initial offers

It's time to start making your initial offers. Each person should make an initial offer and explain their reasons for doing so. They should also try to anticipate what their colleagues might say in response.

Don't be afraid to be creative with your offers. If you are negotiating as an employee, you might demand more vacation days in exchange for a lower salary, or you could ask for flexible working hours in exchange for a smaller raise. Do not over-focus on the salary figure at hand, but also assess all possible options and tactics that can be used to improve your overall remuneration package. At the same time, it is important that you have all your numbers with you, so that you sound reliable and professional in your salary negotiations.

7. Counteroffer and compromise

Once everyone has made their initial offers, it's time to start bargaining. Each person should make a counteroffer to the person they're negotiating with and explain their reasoning behind it. Then, they should try to reach a compromise that both parties are happy with.

Don't be afraid to walk away from the negotiation if you're not getting what you want. Sometimes, it's better to leave without a deal than to agree to something that isn't fair.

8. Closing the deal

If you and the other person reach an agreement, it's time to close the deal. This means that you both agree to the terms of the negotiation and sign any necessary documents.

Finish with a timeframe in which both parties have to come up with joint proposals based on their respective ideal outcomes. Take note of any objections/rationalisations and incorporate skimming/paraphrasing during your response.

9. Chat it through

Now it's time for some feedback; talk through what strengths and weaknesses you noticed in yourself as well as in others. For example, if you find that when negotiating for higher pay, you tend to focus too much on money without being able to convince the employer to match your demands, talk through this in-depth with your partners. Everybody involved in the roleplay should try their best in explaining their rationale behind making certain demands, and why certain demands are accepted or rejected. Other areas to focus on during the feedback session would include analyzing how demands and concessions were made, how different parties aimed to bridge between differences and what each party could have done better to resolve their differences.